Victory Runs Deep
by jalapeno-sama
Summary: Kuroko Tetsuki, the ex Vice-Captain of Teikou, the phantom of the court, and one of the top 3 players of the entire circuit. The Kiseki no Sedai broke up after middle school, but Kuroko will make them close again; even if it means beating them with their own game and bringing victory to herself. fem!strong!Kuroko (Pairing undecided)
1. New Beginnings

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Description: Kuroko Tetsuki, the ex Vice-Captain of Teikou, the phantom of the court, and one of the top 3 players of the entire circuit. The Kiseki no Sedai broke up after middle school, but Kuroko will make them close again; even if it means beating them with their own game. fem!strong!Kuroko**

**I know that Kuroko may seem overpowered, but you need to think of her in relation to the rest of the GoM. Her main enemies will definitely be Aomine and Murasakibara. Akashi too, but the two former even more so. **

* * *

"Kise! Get back to work!" Kasamatsu exclaims, eye twitching in annoyance. The flighty blond is always doing this, always staring off into the distance with glittering eyes, or waving at fangirls, or crying for no good reason. His kicks don't hurt _that _much! Kise just grins stupidly, nodding.

"Okay senpai~!" He replies with a wink, causing more than a few of said fangirls to take pictures.

Dribbling a new basketball, Kise absentmindedly tries out a few new shooting forms; his former thoughts still don't leave his mind, and the stupid smile grows a little more serious, a little more determined. Nobody sees it.

"This year will be interesting~," Kise sings, every single shot going into the hoop, no matter how strange his position is. He can't wait to face them. He can't wait to prove his worth; he won't be the weakest anymore, not this time! He _won't _lose.

A picture flashes in his mind for a nanosecond. A picture of a girl. Her blue eyes are strangely blank and open, with her hair being the same color. It hangs in a loose, long, slightly wavy ponytail, with neatly side-parted and wispy bangs. _Victory isn't everything, Kise-kun. Remember that. _

Kise pushes the thought away quickly. "I'll prove myself to you, Kurokocchi. I'll show you," he continues humming to himself, shooting more and more, no longer in control of his actions.

Kasamatsu shakes his head when he sees Kise talking to himself. _Just add it to the list of weird things Kise does. _

**...**

Kuroko remains impassive, continuing to stare at the two second years sitting at the folding plastic table. It's been this way for 5 minutes; her staring blankly, them not noticing her and shivering occasionally because of the strange feeling of being stalked.

She hasn't spoken a word, and is completely content to wait this thing out. Kuroko Tetsuki has been told countless times about how truly strange her sense of humor is, and maybe it is, but is it really that much to ask to be seen?

"Riko, seriously this is starting to get creepy," Hyuuga shivers, looking behind them again with another shudder. Aida nods, looking _just past _Kuroko.

"Just ignore it, Junpei," Aida says with a wave of her hand. "It's probably just Izuki or Koga," she shrugs, and Hyuuga scowls at that.

"If it is, I'll punch both of them in the head," he mutters. Kuroko remains watching, eyes burning into both of their souls. Finally, with a sigh, Kuroko slumps her shoulders a millimeter. _Although this is fun, I do not have all day to stand here... __  
_

Kuroko grabs a slip of paper from the table, entering her name and grade before encountering two slots that she really _doesn't _want to fill. Her school? _Teikou. _What are your goals for this year? _Bring my entire team to victory. Also, get good grades, and learn how to cook something other than boiled eggs._

Yes, that will do.

Kuroko places the pen back onto the table silently, along with her paper, which neither student notices. A small yet exasperated breath leaves Kuroko's mouth at her own lack of presence, which, although amazing when utilized, she curses more often than anything. How can her paper possibly be as invisible as herself?

As Kuroko walks away, thinking of ways to possibly be seen _off _of court while being invisible _on _court (she can control her misdirection and invisibility, yes, but she has never truly been visible, just slightly easier to be seen), an aura hits her that vaguely reminds her of another.

_Not as cruel, or experienced, and certainly not as arrogant. _Her head does not turn toward the presence; she sees everything with her blank blue eyes, observing everything silently. Even though he stands _behind _her, Kuroko sees. His red hair is two toned, with the top being a fiery kind of hue, and the bottom being more of a mahogany.

Also, in addition to his scarily colored hair, his height is impressive, as is his weight and muscle mass. A faint smile crosses Kuroko's face as she continues walking, opening her novel to her current page while simultaneously avoiding all human contact, quite a feat in such a crowded area.

For now, Kuroko thinks she can ignore the fact that the red haired mystery was carrying a senpai by the jacket.

Didn't Aomine always want some kind of rival? It had always been her in the past. But this time around, Kuroko has her eyes on other targets too; not just Aomine, as it used to be. She also has to beat her entire ex-team, with two others in particular; the Shield of Aegis, Murasakibara Atsushi, who 'hates' basketball, and the Red Emperor, Akashi Seijuro, who happens to be all too confident in Kuroko's opinion.

If this red haired boy has the talent that she thinks he has, then her oldest friends will be back sooner than first thought. With a smile, Kuroko continues walking.

**...**

Aida shakes her head, looking at the meager amount of papers in her hands. "Just a few more would've been nice," she mumbles, before perking up. "But hey! That Kagami Taiga guy sure looks like something! Not first year material at all!"

Hyuuga nods in agreement while Koganei pales. "Y-Yeah," he stammers. "He was great."

Suddenly, something else on the table catches Hyuuga's eye. Another admission form. He snatches it, flipping it over a few times; yep, it's filled out. Why didn't they see it before? "Ah, Riko, there's one left," Hyuuga says, handing her the paper.

Surprised, Aida scans the sheet quickly. "Kuroko... Tetsuki? That's a pretty girly name, don't you think?" She mentions, before gasping. "J-Junpei," she stutters, "this kid went to that school. This kid went to _Teikou." _Immediately, the meager basketball club goes quiet. "Ugh!" Aida exclaims, slamming her hand on the table. "How did I forget the face of such a gem?!"

Hyuuga shrugs, a bit confused, but less worried; the guy'll show up to practice, right?

The feeling of being watched has long since been forgotten by both, as if it never happened.

**...**

The first basketball practice begins with a bang, with all of the newest members standing in two lines, some rigid and nervous, others much less so. Two first years in particular are rather chatty, and completely unaware of a certain glasses-wearing captain's eavesdropping.

"So, she's pretty cute! A second year, right? I think she's the manager," one whispers, and his friend nods rapidly.

"Yeah! If only she were a bit sexier," the teen whines, a small pout on his face, and Hyuuga ticks. Quickly, he smacks them upside the head.

"Oi! You two, shut up! You're wrong!" He shouts, before nodding at Aida. The terrifying girl herself simply nods and smiles, her eyes mere crinkles; it's her deadliest face.

"Hello~! My name is Aida Riko, and I'm your new basketball coach!" She says in a sickeningly sweet tone, head tilting just slightly toward the two ignorant first years. Said first years blanch.

"B-But... coach?! Then, who's the old guy in the corner?" One of them splutters, and Aida giggles. A shiver runs down Hyuuga's back.

"That's our advisor, Takeda-sensei! Now that we're all acquainted, take off your shirts please!" She requests, and a moment of pin-drop silence stretches out as color drops from almost every single person's face, whether they be new or old.

Most of the new students are horrified simply because _why should they have to strip down?! _

The veteran players are merely horrified by Aida's blunt words.

Kagami Taiga has no problem with taking off his shirt; he was getting kind of warm anyway, and there has to be some reason, right? Also, he's much more confident in his body than most other first years are. And honestly, that confidence isn't baseless, a fact that is revealed after he strips off his shirt, revealing his muscles.

Slowly, others comply too, and Aida scans over their forms and numbers with keen, well trained eyes. Keen, well trained eyes that skip right over a certain girl before flitting straight back to one of the ignorant chatters.

"You!" She exclaims, pointing a quick finger, and the poor guy's eyes widen.

"Y-Yes?" He responds, standing up straighter out of reflex.

"You need to work on your flexibility! Stretch more as soon as you get out of the shower!" She demands, and the guy looks sadly lost.

"Y-Yes!"

"You!" Aida shouts, moving on quickly, and Hyuuga snorts at their dumbfounded faces.

"Do you idiots get it now?" He begins, smiling smugly. "That girl's father is a well known trainer; her eyes see only stats and numbers when she looks at you. She can read you with a single glance," he brags and the first year's jaws drop.

As soon as Aida reaches Kagami, her eyes widen and her jaw drops. _He's... is there anything I can really correct?! So this is what they mean when they say basketball genius... everything about him is perfectly honed to the sport! What a catch! _

"Riko! How long you gonna stare!" Hyuuga shouts, breaking the sharp eyed girl out of her reverie. At least she has the decency to blush slightly.

"A-Anyway!" She says, looking at her clipboard with an unhappy face. "Has anybody seen... Kuroko Tetsuki?" She asks, looking around, and Hyuuga snaps as he recalls the significance of the name.

"Ah! You mean that kid from Teikou with a super feminine name!" He exclaims, and many eyes in the sea of first years widen. Kagami, of course, is simply confused by the awe and fear that the school name produces; it's a freaking school, what can possibly be so great or feared about it?

Not to mention the fact that it's a _middle school. _What can honestly happen in middle school that's so significant?

"Woah, Teikou? As in _the _Teikou? As in the unbeatable, powerhouse driven Teikou?!" One student hisses, and another nods excitedly.

"I heard that if they lost a single game, all the regulars were gone! Just like that!" Another pipes up, and a snort is generated by another.

"Please, their regular team was made up of _them. _Do you think they would lose a game anyway?"

Okay, _now _his interest is peaked. These people are strong, eh? He needs to play them. A flame of determination lights in Kagami's eyes.

"Aw," Aida pouts, "I guess he couldn't make it today..." she mumbles, and suddenly, a new voice interrupts.

"No. I am here. I am Kuroko Tetsuki," it says, and many shocked eyes are turned toward the end of the first line, where Aida is _absolutely _sure that nobody was standing a moment before. A few first years scream, and the second years all look about to faint. "I apologize if I scared you. It was not my intention."

Aida blinks a few times, looking at the girl with newfound shock. _So... it isn't just a feminine name tagged onto a guy! This person... this Teikou veteran... is a girl? I heard rumors about something like this, but they were just that; rumors! Rumors spread by the losing teams! Nobody in the audience ever reported seeing anything! _

"A-Ah," Aida says, flipping to Kuroko's name in her organized clipboard. "Can you take off your shirt?" She asks, and a wild blush covers everybody's faces, particularly Kagami and poor, poor Mitobe.

"Riko!" Hyuuga shouts, pushing up his glasses nervously, but Kuroko just shrugs it off and strips her shirt.

Aida thanks the heavens that she's pretty well covered; she has on two sports bras, and with a tinge of jealousy she realizes that although her chest isn't _that _impressive (she's probably a solid c cup), it's still better than her own. Shaking her head to clear her mind of any possible jealous thoughts, she inspects the girl's body.

It's clear that she has good stamina; no, she has _fantastic _stamina, and her arms, although they aren't layered with muscle upon muscle like Kagami Taiga's, are quite capable of doing some damage. Her calves are also quite well toned, Aida notices; her muscles are built up in a strange way, in a way not consistent with most other basketball players.

She has the correct muscles built to play basketball, for sure, and from what Aida can see, her blood pressure and blood sugar levels are perfectly healthy. However, she also has the muscles meant for gymnastics or dance, the kind of muscles that build flexibility and allow quick adaptation. It's no doubt that this girl has all the correct qualities to have been part of the legendary Teikou.

In some ways, the girl looks superior to Kagami. It almost frightens Aida; the girl truly is a monster. But how could she not have heard of the girl sooner?

"You can put your shirt back on now," she mumbles, and Kuroko nods, doing so. _With these two first years... and our current team... we might be able to take the Interhigh, and the Winter Cup! No... we _have_ to take the Interhigh and Winter Cup; for Teppei! _

"Okay, everybody! Now that I've seen your stats, our official training and practices will begin tomorrow! For today, we'll just be doing a few drills, practicing dribbling, shooting forms, offense, and defense! Let's go!"

**...**

Kagami can't help but feel giddy with excitement as he rapidly consumes his food, ignoring the other patrons at Maji with acute accuracy. In the locker rooms after practice, he had spoken with a few of his fellow classmates, who for some reason looked a little _scared _(dammit, he isn't that scary looking!), and they had explained the whole Teikou debacle to him.

_I didn't know people like them _existed _in Japan! _

"What are you thinking about, Kagami-kun?" A voice suddenly interrupts, and a piece of food lodges itself in Kagami's throat as he inhales in surprise. After coughing and hacking, finally dislodging the stubborn piece of bread, Kagami looks across the table in shock to see...

...her.

His eyes narrow. "Oi! You didn't have to scare me like that, dammit!" He exclaims, but the girl simply takes another sip of whatever drink she seems to be enjoying so much.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just curious, Kagami-kun."

She's a strange one; Kagami can tell. He found himself watching her through out practice, and _not _like that! He kept watching her because of the huge fuss people kept making over her old school, and he has to admit that she has astounding skills. She didn't miss a single shot, and her ball handling was nothing short of perfect. It exceeded perfect, if he's to be honest. However, nobody except for himself seemed to notice her in the slightest.

It was... weird.

But what's even weirder is the fact that he doesn't smell anything off of her. She doesn't smell weak, and she certainly isn't, but she also doesn't smell strong, with Kagami can tell that she most definitely is.

"Nothing much," Kagami says carefully, unwrapping yet another burger. "Hey, can you hang around for a bit?" He asks, and Kuroko nods slowly.

Kagami finishes up his 'meal' (at an alarming rate, if Kuroko has anything to say about it, which she doesn't because saying so would be extremely rude), then leads Kuroko outside and directly across the street. The first thing Kuroko notices is the darkness, and the second thing she notices is the basketball hoops.

Yes, she definitely saw this one coming.

"I came to Japan to play basketball, and I can honestly say that I've been appalled by the level most people consider decent so far," he begins, and Kuroko listens carefully. She's a good listener. "But I can tell that you're different. You don't smell strong or weak; you don't smell like anything at all. But I saw you at practice! You're good."

"Thank you, Kagami-kun. I think that every girl likes to be told that they don't smell every once in awhile," Kuroko says monotonously, and a tiny smile works its way onto Kagami's face. He tosses her the ball, which she catches easily with one hand.

"A one-on-one," Kagami announces. "First person to ten points wins, alright?" He asks, and Kuroko nods in confirmation. She briefly contemplates what to do; she's measured his strength. She watched him too. And if she plays him now (and possibly ever)... she'll completely annihilate him.

Killing his confidence isn't part of the plan.

Kuroko plays on different levels with different opponents; for example, if she played against Kise, she wouldn't need to use as many of her techniques as if she played against her rival, Murasakibara. His height is annoying, as is his attitude toward basketball. They truly are opposites in terms of their sport of choice; The only true similarity is that they're both prodigies.

She dribbles the ball once, slowly, in a measured rate. Stable. A stable rhythm. Kagami's eyes zone in on the rhythm she creates, and Kuroko walks forward with perfectly paced steps, carrying the same rhythm. Her wide, observant blue eyes continually track Kagami, until she knows that her first plan is complete.

Kagami has already been caught up in her easy pace. After practicing with the team of monsters from the school Teikou, it seems childishly easy to trap others in her web.

With easy fluidity that most others expect only from Aomine Daiki (his partner needs to be just as good, invisible or not), she spins, pushing the basketball in her hand with her middle finger, keeping it airborne for just the right amount of time.

Kagami's eyes widen, and he reaches out to grab the ball. Kuroko pushes it down with an easy flick of her finger, before running forward with unwarranted speed. Kagami pushes his legs, eyes wide. _Dammit, she's fast! _

But he still can't help the smile that works its way onto his face.

She grabs the ball with her right hand, swinging her arm wildly, and Kagami slides to a stop after seeing her 'shooting' form for the first time. He's seen her doing normal threes, sure, and she was already astounding. But... how the hell...

"How the hell did you do that?" Kagami asks in wonder, and Kuroko pivots to face him.

She hadn't changed her body at all, simply flung the ball in a seemingly random way, directing the ball in the general direction of the hoop. "Practice," she says simply, and Kagami feels his shoulders jump in a small laugh.

_You can't do something like that with practice. She's a prodigy. She's a member of that little prodigy clubhouse, isn't she? She wasn't even trying, and she blew me away! _Kagami puts up a hand before meeting Kuroko's eyes with his own, and he sees that her blue gems sparkle with something new.

"That's all; we don't even need to play to ten points. I think I know how this is going to end anyway. Kuroko... if I played the rest of your old teammates right now, what would happen?"

"You would be completely destroyed," she says bluntly, and Kagami sighs, picking up the rolling basketball to place in Kuroko's hands. He walks towards her, a wild smile on his face.

"That's pretty blunt," he admits, placing the ball in her outstretched hand. She in turn places the ball in the corner of the court, where it can't roll away. "But I have a new goal. Kuroko, I'm gonna beat every single one of your old teammates. Including you, one day."

"That's going to be a lot of work, Kagami-kun," Kuroko warns, and Kagami raises an eyebrow.

"What, you think I can't handle it?" He asks, and Kuroko shakes her head.

"No. I was just warning you of the journey you are planning to embark on," she explains, and he places a large hand on her shoulder, looking sincere.

"I get it, don't worry. And Kuroko... you have a talent with basketball that others can only wish for. Take advantage of that," he says almost pleadingly, and Kuroko nods, tilting her lips just slightly in order to show Kagami her consent.

"I have been planning to do so anyway, Kagami-kun, but it makes me comforted to see what a good person you are. You too are a basketball genius. It is simply the fact that the others and myself are prodigies, and we did nothing but win for three years, honing our skills to perfection with almost military level practices. That is why you are a few steps behind."

"Do you mean that I'm gonna need to do military training?" Kagami asks, almost looking excited, and Kuroko sighs, shaking his arm off of her shoulder before pinching said arm. Kagami whimpers.

"No. What I am saying is that you need to work hard, Kagami-kun, probably harder than you've worked in your entire life," she says. Kagami smiles again, just as stupidly wide as before.

"That won't be a problem!"

As they walk home (Kagami insisted, saying that no lady should walk themselves home) together, Kuroko finds herself lost in her own thoughts. _I know it won't be, Kagami-kun. Not for somebody like you. But when the time comes, and you do join us just over the line... which direction will you choose? Will you follow the same path as Midorima-kun, Kise-kun and I, or will you travel with Murasakibara-kun, Aomine-kun, and Akashi-kun?_

She can't help but hope that he'll stick with her. But loyalty has never seemed to been a high point of any of her partners.

**...**

The following day, Kuroko falls asleep in class due to the fact that she was up a good deal of the night sending group messages back and forth with Midorima, who insisted he was really only keeping contact with her at all because he had absolutely nothing better to do.

Luckily, she's invisible, and she sits behind Kagami anyway. He always gets caught for sleeping in class, but never her. Thinking further about the fact, Kuroko simply shrugs in the end. It works in her favor, anyway; who fight it?

Basketball practice couldn't have come faster, and after changing in the supplies closet (she was banned from the locker room by both a sheepish Aida Riko and flushed Hyuuga Junpei), Kuroko stands next to Kagami, stretching her arms and shoulders. She isn't going to score today, probably; she isn't a huge fan of scoring anyway, although she obviously can.

With Kagami, she won't have to score. She can be just as useful using her other talents. A shiver runs down her spine at the thought of being a big scorer for Seirin; big scorers always get big egos, and after winning too many times, friends can slowly melt away into nothingness.

Yes, she _definitely _doesn't want to be a big scorer. No sir.

"What do you think practice will be today, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asks, and Kagami jumps before sighing and shrugging.

"I dunno. Maybe... stamina or strength? Maybe both. Hey, you think that Seirin practices will be as difficult as the Teikou ones?" He asks idly, and Kuroko ponders that for a minute before shrugging herself.

"I do not know. Teikou was extremely harsh about training, but this is high school now, so I can't be too sure about the change in standards," she explains, and Kagami sighs.

"If it isn't nearly as hard, how the hell am I supposed to catch up to your ex-teammates?" Kagami pouts, whining slightly, and Kuroko jabs him in the side with her elbow before shaking her head.

"I will help you with that on the down low, Kagami-kun. as for right now, it would be best to just focus on your normal basketball routine. After observing you, I will write up a training menu to help you with all the ways you need to improve," she says, and Kagami grins victoriously.

"Hey! Everyone, pay attention!" Hyuuga yells, sending a glare at the now slumping Kagami. Aida scrunches up her nose while inspecting her clipboard, then smiles at everyone.

"Okay! Today, we're going to do a little activity to help us all to test our own skills, strengths, and weaknesses. We're having a First Year vs. Second Year game!" Aida declares, and more than a few pairs of first years whimper.

"A-Are you kidding?! Didn't you guys make it to the Interhigh last year, and with only first years? Like, the first years you have now?" One asks, and another gapes, sweat gathering on his brow.

"Seriously? Oh man, we're _way _over our heads..." he mutters, and Kagami grunts in annoyance.

He grabs the backs of both of their shirts and tugs on them roughly, causing the two to stumble. They look at his shining red eyes in fear, and Kagami smiles widely. "Is that all the fighting spirit you've got? You're just going to give up after hearing the stakes? Having a difficult match ahead of you should make you _more _excited to play, not discouraged," he argues, and they all look awed at his confidence.

Kuroko smiles to herself indulgently, clearing her face not seconds afterwards. The rest of the first years all silence their complaints, looking flushed and ashamed.

Kagami walks out toward the center of the court, power rolling off of him in waves, and Kawahara, Fukuda, and Furihata follow behind, slightly more cautious. Kuroko is with them too, of course, but nobody seems to see her following behind.

She bites her lip, feeling concerned once again about a certain thought that has plagued her for days.

Her invisibility, although amazing in its own sense, isn't something that's possible under all circumstances. It's only the first of many play styles she has, but it's also her most used and practiced style. She needs to practice her others further.

She scores, so of course she has a profile, it's just that nobody ever cared enough to look her up. Why? Because of the overwhelming presence the team at Teikou had. But now that she's going to inevitably end up being one of just two big scorers, she isn't so naive to think that she'll be able to be ignored any further.

Kagami will need to practice to beat all of the opponents barring his pathway to greatness, and so will she, although agreeably much less so.

"Yo, Kuroko, you awake?" Kagami asks, knocking her from her stupor. His voice is softer than she's ever heard it, and she looks up to see that he looks concerned. She nods, tightening her lips.

"I am fine, Kagami-kun. Thank you."

Aida walks to the very center of the court, whistle in her mouth and ball in her hand. She blows on it once, just to gather everybody's attention, before letting it fall loose around her neck. "Okay everybody! This is just a mini game, alright? Like I explained earlier, it's to test skills. So don't take it too hard if you lose, and try your best so we can see all your skills and improve!"

With that, she blows on the whistle once more and tosses the ball in the air, backing up quickly.

Kagami jumps up, and Kuroko's eyes narrow when she sees his reaction time and height. It doesn't make sense. Normally, she could assume that he just has amazing reflexes and leave the subject alone, but if that were so, he would not have jumped to such a height first try. Unless he trained himself to do so, but he didn't seem particularly focused on jumping. Just on reaching the ball.

Using his height and arm length, Kagami reaches the ball first with a smirk. Growling, he pushes it back toward their side of he court, and Fukuda grabs it quickly, dribbling toward the second years' hoop. In a flash, Izuki is in front of him, and Fukuda's eyes widen.

"Oi!" Without hesitation, he sends the ball to Kagami, who runs forward and makes a dunk. The score is 2-0, with the first years somehow taking the first point.

Aida's eyes widen on the sidelines. _I knew he was going to be good, but this... is this what an untrained prodigy looks like? _Meanwhile, Hyuuga's eye twitches, and he scowls. He'll need to teach the kid to respect his senpais.

The game progresses in a similar manner for awhile, leaving the score at 11-8, the first years still holding a lead.

"Hey, we actually stand a chance!" Kawahara says, smiling, and Furihata gives him a high five. On the other side of the quart, Hyuuga scoffs.

"Okay guys, we're gonna get serious now," he mutters, and Izuki chuckles.

"Entering clutch mode so easily, captain?" He teases, but his eyes flash eagerly, ready to be put to good use.

The next time Kagami has the ball, he finds himself cornered by Koganei and Mitobe. Sometimes he can break from two marks, but just barely, and for some reason, Mitobe is disturbingly hard to lose.

"Tch!" Kagami scowls, passing the ball in the general direction of Furihata, only to be intercepted by Izuki, who passes to Hyuuga. The glasses wearing captain makes an impressive three pointer, a glint in his eyes.

"Don't underestimate us, you cocky first years!" Hyuuga growls,

From that point on, the second years don't relent. They push eagerly, and they double team Kagami constantly, even when he doesn't have the ball. Finally, Riko blows the whistle, signifying the halfway point and break time of their little mini scrimmage.

Fukuda pants, drooping. "We were wrong; we're on the path of loss," he says, gesturing to the score keeper that reads 15-31, no longer in their favor. Kagami seems particularly angered by this, and he snarls.

"Are you serious?! You're going to give up now? This isn't the end! A basketball game doesn't end until it's over!" He says, sounding vaguely stupid yet intriguingly inspirational.

Kagami is pulled from his rage when a cool, smooth hand smacks him across the face. Whirling around, he grabs the closest person, who just happens to be Kuroko. She doesn't argue when she's picked up off the ground, seeing that he really doesn't have control over his temper at all.

"Wha-? Kuroko? What the hell! Why'd you hit me?! And... how long have you been playing?" He exclaims, and Kuroko replies by pointing at his hand. He drops her.

"I have been playing the entire time, Kagami-kun. Remember what I spoke to you about yesterday; about training. I need to see you play too. I have simply been staying out of the way for so long. I will play now, but you need to cool down," she says stoically, and Kagami growls.

"I'm totally calm!" He yells, clenching his fists, and Izuki whistles on the opposite side of the gym.

"Looks like there's a heavy debate going on over there," he comments lightly, and Hyuuga nods in agreement. Aida goes to do the same, but hesitates when she sees who's arguing. Instead, she gasps.

_How long has she been playing? I've been watching the entire time, and I didn't see her once... wait, has she really been in the entire time? How did I lose sight of her for so long? _

She has good eyes, Aida knows. She's certainly no Izuki, but she still doesn't just lose people when there's only 10 out there in the first place.

"L-Let's start again!" Aida yells, stammering the smallest amount due to her recent revelation.

All of the players walk out again, and when the ball is thrown, Kagami gets it once more. But instead of sending it down randomly, he pushes it toward someone. Toward Kuroko. Aida leans forward, wanting to see the Teikou alumni in an actual game.

She runs forward, dribbling neatly, weaving easily under Hyuuga's arms by leaning sideways. _She's flexible. I knew it. There's something strange about this one! _She continues running, not stopping even when Mitobe appears in front of her. She keep running straight forward until...

...until she runs straight through him. How had she done that? Mitobe's own eyes widen, a rare show of true shock on his face. Right on the three point line, Kuroko throws the ball generally toward the hoop, and much to everybody (except for Kagami) watches in shock as the ball goes straight through the hoop, not touching the hoop in the slightest.

With the help and teamwork of Kuroko and Kagami, the first years continually gain points, until finally, the game ends.

With a score of 38-37, the first years win by a hair.

**...**

The next day, Kuroko proceeds to meet Aida and the rest of the first years in front of the school due to a request by the coach herself. Kagami follows soon after, and Aida claps her hands excitedly.

"Great! We're all here!" She exclaims, and Kagami sighs.

"Why are we here, actually?" He asks, looking tired. Aida smiles widely.

"Well, the thing is, to actually be a member of this team, you need something more than just skill," she explains. "You need determination. So right now, you're going to do the initiation! We all did it last year, so you're all gonna do it this year! Just so you know, after you do this, if you break your promise, I'll make you confess to your love interest naked," she says.

Kawahara frowns worriedly, looking at his watch. "Aida-san, classes begin in ten minutes," he says hurriedly, and Aida nods.

"That's why we're going to need to get going! Now follow me; to the roof!"

They all do so, although Furihata and Fukuda look quite concerned about the whole 'confessing naked' thing. Kuroko just shrugs it off; initiation can't possibly be as bad as what it was in Teikou, right? With a small shiver, she looks up to the cloud covered sun.

Making 13 year olds do whiskey shots is bad.

They all trek up to the roof, and once they're there, Aida closes the door slowly. "Okay! Now, I want you all to stand up on the edge, yell your name, class, and your goals! Go!" She exclaims, and Furihata stands up, quickly shaking his head.

"What do you mean, our 'goals'?! This is crazy!" He yells, looking scared. Kagami cracks his neck, and walks toward the edge. Furihata continues rambling off everything that could go wrong, but stops when Fukuda pulls on his sleeve, pointing toward the redhead.

"Kagami Taiga! Class 1-C! I'll defeat the Generation of Miracles and bring Seirin to be the best team in all of Japan!" He yells, and on the ground, Hyuuga smirks, chuckling.

"Doing it again this year, huh?" He mutters, shaking his head. Koganei cackles, remembering how much trouble they got into, and on the roof, the door suddenly slams open again.

"You! The basketball team, again?!"

**...**

"That was ridiculous," Kagami complains to himself, stuffing his face with food at Maji's.

"It certainly was; I hadn't even said anything yet, but I still got yelled at," a voice says suddenly, and although Kagami jumps, he doesn't choke like last time. He had a feeling she would show up, and by now, he recognizes her voice and acknowledges her disappearing act.

"Hey, I mean, at least we did the initiation," he shrugs, and Kuroko slumps the slightest bit at that.

"Actually, Kagami-kun, I was worried about that. We all got disciplined together, but you were technically the only one who carried out the initiation. What if I an unable to join the team for real?" She asks, and Kagami purses his lips.

"I dunno, actually. You'll figure it out, I'm sure. Hey, I just wanna ask... you were part of that Miracle team, right? Why aren't you with them?" He asks, and Kuroko meets his eyes solemnly.

"Teikou is a school for the best of the best, which means that they desire one thing above all others; victory. If they did not assert their position of dominance above all others, then there was a problem, Kagami-kun. Apart from the fact that we all agreed to split up, I did this for a different reason. In fact, even if we had been able to be together, I would not have. I do not like their way of thinking any longer," she says, and Kagami tilts his head to the side.

"What, so you wanna beat them with your own style and ideals, right?" He clarifies, and Kuroko smiles at him wryly.

"That was the idea in the beginning, yes. But your words, and those of the coach, have made me rethink my former goal. I would like to bring Seirin to the top, Kagami-kun. The only thing is, the schools that the others chose; Kaijou, Shutoku, Touou, Yosen, Rakuzan... they will be fighting rabidly for a spot at the top too," she says.

"You'd _like _to bring Seirin to the top?" Kagami restates, smirking. "You're wrong. We're _going _to bring Seirin to the top."

With that, Kuroko smiles back at Kagami, and the two stand up, both done with their largely different meals.

The next day, Kagami enters his classroom only to see every other student (except for that weird guy that sleeps in the back of the room) staring out the windows. "Dude, do you think it was a ghost? There's no signature!"

He looks out too, then smirks.

**I WILL BRING OUR TEAM TO BE NUMBER ONE. **

The handwriting is impeccable, but whoever wrote it seems to have forgotten to sign their little message.

But nonetheless, Kagami knows who it's from. And he's certain that Aida will too.

* * *

**A/N: Okay. I've decided to write a multichaptered KnB fanfiction, which is pretty ding dang exciting. I have a bad habit of rushing through things, so I apologize for that, but I just wanted to get through the first episode or so in one chapter to avoid dragging it out. I introduced Kuroko a little, showed Kagami's good and bad sides, etc. **

**I want to get to the good stuff as soon as possible! Leave a review, tell me if I should continue, whatever you have to say. I welcome criticism, if you have any, so I'm fine with 'flames'. (=^o^=)**


	2. Starting Off

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. (The pairing is undecided, but I'm thinking to go withe either AoKuro or KagaKuro)**

**Wow, just over 8,000 words! Shocker. **

* * *

"You know I already do that, right?" Kagami asks. Kuroko crosses her arms, her face still calm as the clear water of a summer pond.

"I am aware," she says. "There are different ways to run, Kagami-kun," she points out to the hot head, who pouts. It looks strange on his naturally angry looking face. "You need to run the way I'm showing you, to help develop your calves."

Now, the redhead blanches. "My... calves?" He asks slowly, lifting up a leg. He gestures to the limb, pointing exclusively at the well defined lines of muscle on the criticized area. "What's wrong with my calves?" He complains to the unaffected bluenette in front of him.

"Nothing in particular," she admits, "but they could certainly be better. Trust me, Kagami-kun; if you begin this training now, your skills will skyrocket. You have quite a special ability, Kagami-kun," she assures.

Perking up, Kagami raises a single split eyebrow. "Seriously?! I have some cool ability like you and your Miracle Club?" He asks, and Kuroko refrains from huffing by biting the inside of her lip. She explained to Kagami all about her old teammates, but didn't elaborate too far; not too far into their personalities or thoughts about basketball, anyway.

"Yes," Kuroko says simply, before peeking at the small black notebook in her hands once more. "Also, I'm going to request that you begin training your _left _hand, along with extra strength training that I will tell you next week, after you begin your running."

Now in agreement, Kagami nods, taking the page of notes that Kuroko gracefully hands to him thankfully. "Get of at an earlier spot and do my special run the rest of the way to school, huh?" He mutters, nodding approvingly. "Sounds good!"

Kagami's attitude reminds her of Kise for a moment, with the way he seems to eager and enthusiastic about the labor that she gives him. Not many people enjoy training and conditioning. It isn't to say that she _does, _necessarily, but she doesn't mind it.

"Hey," Kagami says suddenly, eyes lightening for a minute. "Did you have plans that you had to cancel to come today?" He asks, looking sorry now. Kuroko shakes her head.

"I know that I am a rather popular individual Kagami-kun, but my Saturday was clear when we made these plans. However, I did have to turn down plans with another because of this. I did not care; actually, I would rather be here than with the person who wanted to make plans with me," she says, thinking back to Aomine's call. She would rather put off their next meeting for as long as possible. The time that they were best friends seems far away.

"Oh," Kagami trails off, scratching his neck. He looks at the ground and folds the paper she handed him up neatly, tucking it into the pocket of his basketball shorts. He has on a white tee shirt, his chain and ring, and a black jacket too.

He looks down at Kuroko, with her blue and white basketball shoes and white basketball shorts. Her top is a baggy black tank top, and she has on a baggy blue sweatshirt. The white hat on her head protects her ears from the chill on the morning air, and her blue eyes look at him expectantly.

"Hey... you wanna go grab something to eat? Y'know, since you... had to turn down somebody else... and-" he stammers, looking around awkwardly. Kuroko cuts him off.

"I would love to," she says, snapping her notebook shut and walking to the edge of the court to pick up her old basketball. They had played a quick game just before discussing Kagami's new training regimen, and she had been surprised at just how quickly he was able to pick up some of her moves, no matter how basic.

**...**

In the end, the two couldn't find any place other than Maji's that they both really wanted to visit. They walked past countless other shops and cafes, drawing stares from curious bystanders who can't help but stare at the huge red haired player. The few who actually end up noticing Kuroko can't help but wonder why she's with such a person.

"How do you end up eating all of that, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asks, tilting her head to the side. She takes a quick sip of her vanilla milkshake, enjoying the cool temperature and sweet, yet not overbearing flavor. Murasakibara had gotten her into these vanilla flavored hard candies in her first year at Teikou, and after that there was no turning back.

"I dunno, I just eat until I'm full. Well, actually, I'm never really full I guess... but I just get however many I think I can afford and will make me feel content," he explains, shrugging. Kuroko nods, and the two sit in comfortable silence for awhile longer until Kuroko finally realizes something.

"Kagami-kun, I think this is the first time I've eaten here with you on purpose. Most of the time you just sit down here accidentally without seeing me, somehow, and I end up scaring you into cardiac arrest," she pipes up, and Kagami stops stuffing his face to consider this for a moment, then nods.

"You know, I never really noticed that actually, since we just ended up talking about basketball, or playing basketball. I kind of tend to forget details when basketball ends up involved," he says, and Kuroko hides her smile by taking another sip of her drink.

"Ah. I see. You shift in a Bakagami when you think about basketball, yes?" She teases monotonously, and Kagami flushes slightly, mouth full of food. He settles for crossing his arms and glaring. The crinkle of paper is audible when he shifts his weight, and he grabs the training sheet from his pocket. Swallowing the mouthful of food, he unfolds it.

"Hey, how did you come up with this, anyway? Do you have experience?" he asks, and Kuroko decides not to mention the reasonably obvious answer to his second question.

"Kagami-kun, Teikou was not always such an overbearing powerhouse. We used to be a normal team, trying our hardest every game to win. I helped to develop training routines with Akashi-kun and Momoi-san, so that is where I get my experience. As for how, I just looked at your strengths and weaknesses, as well as what you will need to face my ex-teammates. Easier than you think," she says.

"You could tell my talent just by watching me play for... what, 10, 15 minutes?" He asks, fascinated. He quickly eats another burger in three bites as he waits for her answer.

"I have had experience, as I said. I had the opportunity to watch the miracles bloom, every one of them, so I understand how hidden talents unveil themselves. Kagami-kun, you may not technically be one of us, but believe me," she stares deep into his eyes, "I will help you to become the best you can. You will become the miracle that wasn't a Miracle," she declares, and Kagami chuckles.

"You know that most people wouldn't get that, right?" He asks, and Kuroko nods, sipping her drink once more.

"Yes. But we have already established the fact that you are a basket-baka, Kagami-kun," she says, and Kagami splutters.

"Hey! I can excuse the nickname, but I'm not that bad!" He complains, and Kuroko looks away, not meeting his eyes. "Wait, I am? No I'm not!"

"I didn't want to be the one to tell you," Kuroko says, just as stoic as ever, but the glimmer in her eyes makes Kagami hope that she's just kidding.

* * *

Kuroko sighs when she returns home, away from the prying eyes of other human beings. No matter how accepting they are, it's just human nature to look into the lives of others and try to guess their secrets; their intentions, their home lives, their likes, their dislikes. It isn't a bad thing, just tiring when you know just how often it occurs.

She kicks of her shoes a bit messily, leaving them by her door, and walks to her kitchen with long, tired strides. This is one setback of having just one parent, and a business tycoon at that; Mr. Kuroko is never home. But Tetsuki understands; it was hard on everybody when her grandmother passed, but her father especially, who had had to deal with the passing of her mother too.

She had died when Tetsuki was but a small child, so her memory of her mother is fuzzy at best. If delving into work makes her father happy, then who is Tetsuki to take that from him, even if it means that he's in America much of the time? They still talk on the phone at least once a week, although those calls seem to have been getting shorter and shorter.

She begins heating up some water to make tea, then leans on her counter. The words that Aida had spoken to her right after practice ring in her ears.

_Kuroko-kun, I couldn't help but notice that you barely played half of the game, and even then, you only scored once. I mean, your passes, offense, and defense were all amazing, don't get me wrong! I just thought that... since you seemed to have scored with such ease... will you ever consider doing it more so in official games? Or even practice games? _

Kuroko presses a few slim, calloused fingers to her temple. They don't _look _calloused, of course, because of their pale tone, but they are. The stress and guilt eat away at her, making her feel smaller and smaller.

What will she do? If she does as Aida-san says and begins to score more, won't it take the spotlight away from her other teammates? Won't she change into a monster and leave them all behind? But if she doesn't, she'll look even worse. She'll look like she's selfish, like she doesn't care, like she doesn't want Seirin to win, when it's just the opposite.

Why are all her decisions like this? With one being bad, the other just as much so?

She's already side-coaching Kagami-kun... but on the other hand, nobody else knows about that, and she would rather keep it that way. If everybody were to find out, there's no doubt that somehow, someway, a certain heterochromatic redhead would find out and send her a few 'curious' calls.

The sound of her teapot whistling makes Kuroko jump, startled from her thoughts. She throws in a few teabags to steep, then bites her bottom lip, a nasty habit she picked up after forcing herself to keep quiet throughout her second and third years of middle school.

Suddenly, her phone beeps, and she lifts it up with hopeful eyes. Skimming it over, the hope slowly fizzles out into something darker. She looks down, placing the phone on the counter.

Usually her father calls on Saturdays. it just seems that he's too busy today; meetings, deals, other things; but he'll definitely call next week. Disappointment floods her veins, and Kuroko swallows the feelings immediately. He's busy; it doesn't mean he doesn't love her. Plus, he's probably doing something very serious, something he can't put down to do something as trivial as call his only daughter.

She never texts back on the days that he does so instead of calling, because she doesn't want to inconvenience him.

But deep in her heart, Kuroko knows that she has ever right to feel lonely and sad.

Thinking of Kagami, Kuroko smiles slightly. When was the last time she had dined with another person on the weekend? Him asking her to go somewhere for lunch was both awkward and kind, but the milkshake was definitely worth it. Turning down a milkshake is something she doesn't have the ability to do.

Thinking back, Kuroko realizes that the last person she ate with during a weekend was actually... Aomine.

Oh.

Guilt seeps through her once more at the thought of how much the tanned ace has changed. According to Momoi's messages, he's become lazy and irritable, sometimes even falling into violence. If it hadn't been for her, always behind him, always encouraging (pushing, her mind corrects cruelly) him to become his best, would he have become the powerful demon that he is now?

With another heavy sigh, Kuroko pours herself a cup of tea and takes a sip of the scalding liquid. It burns on the way down, and Kuroko appreciates the feeling. It makes her feel warm inside for a time, a feeling that others have slowly ripped away from her.

Looking around critically, Kuroko realizes that she should get a pet. Something to help her fill the empty space, to spend time with her when she starts to feel down.

Her phone dings again, and Kuroko promptly ignores it. She knows who that is.

Kise Ryouta.

He also texts her every Saturday, asking how she is, what school she's going to now, if she wants to go out... there's really only one reason she's been ignoring him.

Kise has the biggest mouth Kuroko has ever seen, or heard. He would brag all about knowing where she is to Aomine, and Murasakibara, and Akashi, which she really doesn't want or need to deal with. She talks to Midorima sometimes, although they're both introverted in their own senses, but Kise wouldn't know what to do with himself if she suddenly called.

There's only one big difference between herself, Kise, and Midorima versus the other three. They still love basketball; they still enjoy the sport to the core, not the crushing victories, not the act of destroying others... they love and respect the sport.

That's why she isn't focusing on the blond model or tsundere as much. They don't have much to learn, not with how much they truly still value the sport.

The phone vibrates again, and this time, Kuroko sips the final mouthful of tea in her cup before picking it up and checking her messages.

**From: Kise-kun**

**Subject: Hi~!**

**Message: Hey Kurokocchi~! I'm just trying to contact you to tell you that I miss you a ton and would like to know what school you're going to~! Also, Midorimacchi was getting all flustered then yelled at me and hung up when I asked him, so I know that you've been talking to him! ( ≧Д≦) Is it just me?! What did I do wrong, Kurokocchi?! I've never been denied like this before! Don't you love me anymore~?!**

With a barely there wry smile, Kuroko sinks to the ground, leaning against the wall. Of course Kise has to make her feel guilty too, when she's already felt so much so already. He doesn't even mean to, either; he's probably just honestly curious about why she's talking to Midorima, who claims to hate her, rather than himself.

In his defense, she would be confused in his situation too.

"Oh, Kise-kun..." Kuroko mumbles to herself, biting her lip before letting out a strangled breath. She's been sighing a lot lately; she needs to de-stress, and if taking one more thing off her plate will help her do so, then...

**To: Kise-kun**

**Subject: Re: Hi~!**

**Message: Hello Kise-kun. I am sorry for not talking to you; I am afraid that I have been dreadfully busy lately. If you are free tomorrow, then we can meet up at the ramen shop the team used to go to after practice. **

Not thirty seconds later, Kuroko's phone beeps.

**From: Kise-kun**

**Subject: Re: Re: Hi~!**

**Message: YES I'M FREE KUROKOCCHI AS A MATTER OF FACT I JUST CANCELLED ALL OF MY PLANS FOR THE NEXT MONTH AND A HALF IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY AT YOUR HOUSE FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME WHICH I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH YOU DOING WHATSOEVER! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧ SERIOUSLY YES I'LL BE THERE AT ANY TIME YOU WAAAAANNNNNNNNT**

Kuroko reads the message, and suddenly, her lungs constrict, making her do something she hasn't done in a long time. She lets our a short laugh, loud and boisterous, though it lasts for a brief ten seconds. She knows Kise is exaggerating a bit, but if she ever did ask him to do something as idiotic as stay at her house for a month, she knows he would jump to do so.

After Aomine began changing and leaving her behind, she grew closer to Kise; he admittedly probably would have become her best friend eventually, had they been in school together longer. His naturally happy vibes and exuberance make a great counter to her own personality, and his uncanny ability to act serious when necessary makes her able to get along with him easily.

Surprisingly, she also got to know Midorima better, seeing as they were on the library committee together during their third year at Teikou, when everyone began to change.

Even though he says that he 'hates' her, he gets awfully chatty and sarcastic near her, showing his real colors. She knows that he doesn't feel comfortable being himself near many people, and definitely not in groups; his sarcasm isn't always malicious, in fact, in reality, it rarely is. He just uses it as a shield. Also, he never seems to curse in front of those who he isn't close to, which is something strange.

She doesn't bother to text Kise back; she can call him tomorrow, tell him when to meet her, and then she'll tell him all about how things have been going for her once they meet face to face. If they meet face to face, surely he'll understand how important it is to keep her information a secret.

**...**

12:30. That's the time that she's supposed to meet Kise. She quickly grabs a pair of tan skinny jeans, the ones with a silver chain hanging from the belt loop, along with a white tank top and baggy black sweater that hangs off of one shoulder. She puts on a pair of black and white basketball shoes, a new pair that she needs to break in.

Quickly grabbing her keys and small tan messenger bag, which she easily slings over her shoulder, she closes her door and locks it. If she catches the next train, she should be at the restaurant a little before the appointed time, which is good. She would much rather be early than late.

Taking a notebook out of her bag, she opens it quickly. She loves reading; it transports your mind to another world, a world where anything is possible. And as tempting as it is to take out Pride and Prejudice, written in the original English, she needs to add some more details to Kagami's page. She has pages on all of her old teammates, obviously, to help them with training. At least, that's what they _were _for.

She put down a rough sketch of him, with his strange hair and all the right muscles for basketball. She drew a closer picture of his calves, and she quickly grabs a pencil before adding a few more lines and erasing some from the drawing. After he had shown her his calves the morning before, she had put the image to memory, but then forgotten to add them to her notebook.

She had been emotionally exhausted after texting Kise and ignoring yet another call from Aomine.

In her almost-messy and twisted scrawl, she quickly writes down a few notes about his motivation levels and how much he eats, then quirks her mouth to the side before adding a few meager notes about his personality. She doesn't know him all too well yet, and doesn't want to make any assumptions, good or not.

The old woman sitting just across from her makes Kuroko think of her own grandmother, with her hair in a tight bun and a smile on her face.

The next 30 minutes pass in easy silence, with Kuroko adding a few details to Kagami's drawings and a few more notes to his list of characteristics.

Finally, her stop comes, and Kuroko gets off of the train, after giving the driver a sweet smile along with the old lady.

Shaking her head with a sudden dismal cloud hanging over her mind, Kuroko realizes that this is the most social she's been in quite a long time. How did she suddenly work up the courage to speak to the blond? Because having Kagami as a partner, having somebody else standing next to her, upped her confidence? He doesn't even know what he's getting into! He shouldn't make her feel better.

Distressed even further, she realizes that the last time she felt so involved and necessary in a partnership of any sort was with one Aomine Daiki.

The shop is small and not very popular; it does decent business, but at strange hours, so it's virtually empty when Kuroko enters the double set of doors at 12:23 and walks over to an empty table. A woman comes over to ask if she wants anything, but Kuroko simply smiles and shakes her head, waiting for Kise to come.

The bell on the door jingles loudly at 12:29, and Kise shoots a bright smile at the waitress, who blushes. Seeing Kuroko waiting in a two person booth, he waves happily, skipping over to sit across from her. "Kurokocchi! You look great!" He exclaims, looking at her outfit choice. "Is that the sweater I gave you from that collection I modeled last spring?!"

"It is," Kuroko answers swiftly, brushing some nonexistent dust off of her shoulder as Kise beams at her.

"I would hug you if I didn't already understand that you would probably punch me for doing so," he says teasingly, and Kuroko smiles slightly. He's so different when there aren't other people to hear him; he acts so confident, but that's because he's confident in his _facade, _not in his real personality.

"I really am sorry for not talking to you before this, Kise-kun," Kuroko says, meeting Kise's golden eyes with her own blue gems. "I was simply worried that you might accidentally say something to Aomine-kun of Murasakibara-kun, and you know exactly who they would tell," she says, and Kise sighs.

"My best guess was that the reason was something like that," he says, leaning slightly on his palm. "Did you really think I would just tell them?" He asks, and Kuroko shakes her head slowly.

"Not on purpose, no, but your personality can be so exuberant that I thought it might slip out accidentally. Also, they may have pressured you if they thought you knew anything," she explains to the model, who laughs genuinely, an admittedly dorky sound that few are blessed enough to hear.

"Yeah," Kise trails off, smirking.

"On the same note, please be vigilant, and don't mention this meeting or anything I am about to tell you under any circumstances. Unless it is to Midorima-kun, who I have kept in contact with too," she says, and Kise nods eagerly, crossing his hands.

"You've got to tell me _everything! _Seriously, I can tell just by looking at you that you've been keeping in great shape! But what school did you choose? How have you been disregarding basketball?" He questions, and Kuroko leans back comfortably, resting both arms across her torso.

"I chose a new school, actually; you probably have not heard of it. Seirin. The team was made of all first years last year, and yet, they still made it fairly far in the Interhigh competition, which I found intriguing. Also, I quite like their play style and attitudes toward the sport," she says to Kise, who nods.

"I chose Kaijou, which you already know, of course. I mean, they were one of the few schools who would allow me to properly keep up with my modeling, sure, but they also have really well established teamwork. I'm honestly not sure where I fit in on the team, though," he says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Kuroko shakes her head.

"I suppose some things never change, then," she comments, and Kise pouts. There is truth to her words; of all the players on the Teikou team, Kise was considered the least skilled and least experienced, and therefore lacked some of he oomph that the others held.

"I've been working super hard to disprove that thought process," Kise declares, crossing his arms defiantly. "And you didn't tell me how you've been doing!"

"Well," Kuroko answers honestly. "The team has already accepted me more than I could have possibly hoped for, and they plan to fight until the end, which I must admit that I like a lot. As for your previous thoughts, I'm not sure that I know where I fit in at Seirin either, exactly," she admits, and Kise's eyes widen.

"Oh yeah! I didn't even think about that; I figured you'd go with Aominecchi at first, but then, during the third year... anyway, what are you gonna do?" He asks, and Kuroko bites her bottom lip.

"Don't worry Kise-kun; I may not have used my different styles for awhile, but I have been working hard to develop those styles even further. Also, there is a certain member of my team that I have joined in a partnership with," she says, and Kise gapes. She'd explained the way that the whole light/shadow spiel worked awhile ago.

"Y-You mean... there's some guy who can work on par with you? I thought that the only ones on par with you would be, like... Aominecchi, Murasakibaracchi, and Akashicchi, even though two of the three have personalities that clash so much with yours," he says, and Kuroko looks down slightly.

"He isn't exactly on par with me yet; but he will be ready when the time calls for it, trust me. In addition, he is unknown to the rest of the Japanese high school basketball circuit, because he is an American returnee. Him being in Seirin at all is a big stroke of luck," she says, sipping some tea that the waitress had poured when she passed by.

"I see," Kise trail off, looking pensive. "Well, Kurokocchi, you'd better get on that quick... I mean, I know you don't really need me to tell you, but Aominecchi will eat him alive if he isn't ready when the time comes," he says somberly, and the bluenette nods in agreement.

"Enough of this," she says, lifting a single corner of her mouth. "Let's order, and then we can talk about lighter subjects." With a smile, Kise waves the waitress over.

* * *

Kise had missed her; even her dry, witty sense of humor that you aren't sure you're hearing all the time.

Of course, the day had to come to an end, and now, Kise is stuck fidgeting, fingers twitching, not doing what he wants them to. Taking notes has never been one of his favorite activities, obviously, but still, just knowing that one of his favorite people in general (not to mention a major role model) is sitting in a classroom 45 minutes away makes him antsy like nothing else.

Catching the glare that his teacher sends him, he swallows, looks back at the board, then quickly finishes jotting down the notes that he's supposed to be learning from.

After his classes pass (long, boring, tiresome, boring, annoying, hey, did he mention _boring?) _and the bell rings, signaling that he's supposed to be getting to basketball practice, Kise can't help but freeze when a sudden thought hits him.

Immediately after returning home the previous night, he had looked up Seirin on the internet, needing, _thirsting _to know more about where one of the most talented people he's ever known had decided to go to school. He now knows where it is (it isn't creepy, really!) now, and his heart constricts when he realizes that he can be there in an hour, if he remembers the bus schedule correctly.

Sending a mental apology to Kasamatsu, he jogs out of the school, trying to ignore the giggling herds of females all waving and gawking at him.

With his good stamina and endurance, Kise is able to run to the bus stop two minutes before the scheduled arrival, somehow managing to buy a ticket, then proceeding to strip out of his school uniform jacket, which keeps him feeling warm and sticky. The feeling is unwelcome in his white, long sleeved, button up shirt.

The ride is long and boring, reminiscent to his classes at school, but Kise puts up with it, knowing just how much it's going to pay out in the end. A sudden tap on his shoulder makes Kise turn around, and when he looks down slightly, he notices a cute (but not stunning, like Momoicchi or Kurokocchi) brown haired girl smiling winningly at him.

"Can you sign this?" She pleads, and Kise throws on his megawatt model smile, so fake that his cheeks burn with silent resentment.

"Of course!" He replies, taking the pen and magazine from her. It's then that he looks behind her and sees that there's a small (about 15 girls or so) line of fans, all with pens and magazines in hand. He sighs. He already knows how this is supposed to go.

**...**

Finally standing in front of Seirin, Kise breathes a sigh of relief. The girls on the ride over had been brutal, asking him round after round of trivial questions that he gave textbook answers to, knowing all too well what would happen if any of them knew any of his real opinions.

Then, of course, he realizes that he has no idea where he is on campus. With a sigh, he places a hand on his now slightly sweaty neck and approaches a few girls who seem to be laughing and chatting together; they always tell him what he needs to know, no matter how cruel it may seem.

"Hey, can I ask you a quick question?" He ask innocently, and one of the girls turns around to face him, eyes widening comically. She nods, jaw slowly dropping. "Awesome! Can you point me toward the gym where the basketball team practices?" He asks, and she points to the side with a shaking hand. Smiling at her once, Kise runs toward the building quickly.

"Yuki-chan, what's wrong?" One of the girls asks, and Yuki spins on her heel, eyes alight.

"Kise Ryouta! Kise Ryouta is here, at Seirin! Come on; we have to tell _everybody!__"_

Elsewhere, Kise runs toward the gym, imagining how Kuroko will react. Hopefully, he imagines her gasping with wide eyes, dropping her basketball to run over to him and hug him deeply. Realistically, he knows she'll probably just nod at him and scold him, but she'll still send him that tiny grin that's invisible to the untrained eye, and seeing her smile again is worth the aggravation of signing a few autographs.

"You're not working you hardest, are you?!" Kise hears a female voice shout from inside, and a few muffled groans follow. Kise chuckles slightly; that female is an awful lot like Akashi used to be, back in the beginning of their second year.

Except, you know... she's a girl. Akashi isn't.

He busts down the door, striding in with confidence that doesn't waver (at least, he hopes it doesn't waver), sending happy smiles this way and that. A person who he can only assume was the previously yelling female glares at him, gritting her teeth.

Kise gulps. "Hey~!" He cheers.

"What the hell are you doing?" A guy in glasses asks, looking irritated, and Kise raises an eyebrow. He had just entered the room; had he already screwed something up? He looks behind him and swallows. A crowd of excited looking girls look at him, all salivating. He looks at the Seirin basketball team sheepishly, honestly feeling guilty.

"Uh... sorry about this. I really didn't mean for it to happen~! Just give me five minutes, alright?" He begs, and he quickly begins signing, trying his best to hear the words of the team.

"-five minutes my-"

"-Hyuuga!-"

"-at? It's totally true-"

"-model?-"

"-attractive, and good at basketball?-"

"-deadly...-"

Unable to really piece together what they're trying to say, Kise pats the last girl on the shoulder, pivoting to meet the eyes of the basketball team whose practice he just crashed.

"Kise-kun," a small voice says, and all eyes turn to Kuroko or Kise.

"Ah! Kurokocchi! Long time no see," he says, winking once. "I came to say hi!" He exclaims, running toward her with his arms wide open. She narrowly avoids him by stepping to the side, but Kise is ready, having expected that move, and doesn't fall flat on his face. Instead contenting himself with flinging an arm over her shoulder, Kise waves at the rest of her team.

"Kise Ryouta is the last member of the Generation of Miracles," somebody reads off suddenly, and Kise looks over to see three boys hunched over a magazine. "He has the skills to be considered as such... _even though he's only been playing for two years?!" _

Shrugging with a slowly reddening face, Kise waves his hand in dismissal. "No, no, they... they're exaggerating, really. I mean, I'm honored to be called one of the team and all, but really, I'm the worst of the bunch," he admits, before placing a hand over his heart. "The others always used to bully Kurokocchi and I!" He says, sobbing, and Kuroko elbows him.

"Actually, that never happened to me," she says, and Kise stops crying to blanch.

"What?! So it was only me? Anyway, that might be true, but at least Kurokocchi is still my best friend!" He says proudly, and Kuroko sighs.

"What did you come here for?" She asks bluntly, and Kise smiles sincerely for a split second; she hadn't denied his best friend status.

"I already told you, Kurokocchi; I'm here to say hi and check out how you're doing!" He laughs, and suddenly, a basketball flies toward his face. With a quick hand, Kise grabs the ball from the air, turning to see who threw it so haphazardly.

The guy is tall, muscular, slightly tanned, and has the dumbest hair Kise has ever seen. _Huh... must be Kuroko's new partner, then? _He realizes after seeing the slight guilt on his face for almost hitting the gentle looking (emphasis on LOOKING) girl.

"Hey, why'd you do that, huh?" He complains, pouting, and the guy grins savagely. Kise's eyebrows rise. _Man, Kuroko's lights are always of the same variety. How strange. _

"Play me one-on-one! Right now!" Kagami challenges, and Kuroko's lips tighten. As Kise sighs deeply, already having accepted the invitation, Kuroko begins to crack her knuckles nervously.

"This is bad," Kuroko mutters to Aida, who just look at her in confusion.

"What do you mean? I don't really see anything wrong, other than Bakagami's antagonistic personality," she says humorlessly, and Kuroko shakes her head.

"Kise-kun's talent, Aida-san, is what worries me. If I have estimated correctly, then he is even better than he was before, obviously. He may be the worst of the bunch, but he will still defeat Kagami-kun," she says seriously, and Aida looks back to the two in a new light. Kuroko sure had sounded certain.

"I really can't turn down an offer so clear, can I?" Kise says lightly, taking his jacket from his shoulder and placing it on the ground instead. Rolling up his sleeves haphazardly, he grins at Kagami. "You can have possession first; I don't need any handicaps."

With a growl, Kagami charges forward, going for a dunk. Aida frowns, seeing how easily Kise had let him pass. She glances at Kuroko, who still looks straight ahead, so certain in the notion that Kise will win that Aida is nervous at what she's about to witness.

"That was pretty good, I'll give you that much," Kise says, laughing. "Now it's my turn!"

Running toward Kagami, the redhead's eyes widen, recognizing the movements. _What the... he's moving differently than before! _He grabs the ball from Kagami roughly before running forward and jumping, making a dunk as well, but with even more power. The unsettling part about it is the fact that it was just as Kagami's was mere seconds before.

"His talent, Aida-san, is copying the moves of others," she begins. "If he can see it, then he can perform it. Most of the time."

Aida shakes her head, knuckles white as she grasps her clipboard. "Something like that can't be considered copying; he's completely making it his own! Making it _better!" _

Kise dances around Kagami easily, using his own weapons against him before finally letting the ball rest on the ground when Kagami falls to the floor in exhaustion. "You know, I can't just leave after that display," he says, loud enough for everyone to hear. He looks at Kuroko, and although his eyes look light to all the others, Kuroko can see seriousness underlying the usual enthusiasm.

"Come to Kaijou with me, Kurokocchi. We can play basketball _together _again," he offers, and Kuroko understand immediately. He doesn't think Kagami can match up to Aomine, obviously, and from the display he just put on, Kuroko knows that she would feel the same. If only Kise got to know Kagami better, then he would see...

Hyuuga and the others (Izuki in particular, who has become protective of the invisible girl who can avoid even his eagle eyes sometimes) look extremely angered, but none more so than Aida Riko.

"What?!" Aida shouts, looking enraged. "You can't just-"

Kuroko cuts her off. "Kise-kun. Thank you for the offer; I am truly honored that you would ask. But I must decline. I have already joined this team, and made promises to those who I plan to work with for as long as I am able," she says, bowing slightly. Kise crosses his arms, and when she looks up, she sees desperation on his face. She almost smiles.

He's fighting for the same reason that she is, perhaps for an even more selfish reason. The thing he wants most is to beat Aomine, and he knows he can do so with her help. But that won't really help him, will it?

"Kurokocchi, I'm serious; these people don't know how to work with you," he says desperately, and Kuroko can hear the words on the tip of his tongue; _you said so yourself!_

"Kise-kun, I know that you are being serious. I do, believe me. But I already have my own goal; I am going to take down all of the other members of the Generation of Miracles, then bring Seirin to be number one," she says, and Kise leans back slightly.

"You're kidding; Kurokocchi, you never had this sense of humor before! You never joked! It was all about winning!" He exclaims, and Kuroko frowns at his easily misunderstandable words. He's asking if she really thinks she can take down teams like Yosen and Rakuzan with a team like Seirin, but with the way he stated it, it may sound slightly more antagonistic and rude.

A new voice answers instead.

"She isn't kidding," it says, and Kagami glares with a smile from his position on the opposite side of the court. "I wasn't sure what to expect from all of you Miracle guys after seeing her play, but now... I can't wait to finally play you in a real game. And you'd better not think that it'll go like it did today," he growls, and Kise sighs, walking over to grab his coat dismally before turning back to look at Kuroko seriously.

"My offer still stands; my offer will always stand. For if you change you mind." He raises a hand to wave to the entire room. "Bye~! Sorry for interrupting your practice and all!"

Kise leaves the gym, and Hyuuga shakes his head. "Geez, what a jerk! Who does he think he is, walking into our gym and interrupting us to have a friendly little chat?" He rages, waving his hands all around. Kuroko bites her lip.

If he thinks Kise is bad, what will he think of her other teammates?

* * *

Koganei whistles loudly, looking at the school in front of him. "Man, you can really tell that Kaijou cares about athletics, huh?" He asks, nudging Mitobe, who makes a few hand gestures. Koganei laughs at a joke that only he understands before nodding. "Man, you hit the nail right on the head!"

Ignoring his friends' actions, Izuki focuses on the presence of Kuroko, who seems to be attempting to melt into the large presence of Kagami. The alarming thing is that it seems to be _working. _

It doesn't make sense, but it's as if she's hiding herself in his perception of another. Is that possible? It shouldn't be.

"You look terrible," Kuroko comments, looking up at Kagami's face. His eyes are bloodshot and dark, as if some kind of tragedy had happened the night before. Kagami looks away, mumbling. "What was that, Kagami-kun?"

Scowling, Kagami says louder, "I couldn't sleep because I was too excited!" He says, flushing, and Kuroko shakes her head slightly.

"What are you, a child going on his first field trip?" She idly teases, and Kagami pouts.

"Oi! Come on! That's not it at all!"

Suddenly, Hyuuga groans. "Oh man, here comes the welcoming committee," he mutters, looking cross. Kuroko looks up, only to see Kise running forward extremely fast, still looking like a model in his plain black basketball shorts and his orange tank top.

"Hey~! Kurokocchi~!" He yells, latching onto Kuroko with a quick hug before balancing an arm over her shoulders. "The school grounds of Kaijou are super huge, not to mention totally impossible to navigate. I get lost sometimes! So I came here to show you to the right gym~!" He explains, and Hyuuga grunts.

"Thank you," Aida says in his stead, and Kagami crosses his arms, glaring at him.

"Oi, Kise, I'll beat you today, so you'd better-"

"Kurokocchi, you know my offer is still on the table right this very second, right?" Kise asks, completely disregarding Kagami. Smoke blows from Kagami's ears as Kise looks at Kuroko seriously.

"I know, Kise-kun," she says honestly. Kise sighs, tears building in his eyes.

"I've cried myself to sleep for the past few days, due to your cruel denial to my wonderful proposal! You know, I've never been denied, especially not by females!" He sobs and wails, clutching onto Kuroko for 'support'. For her part, Kuroko simply walks, not seeming to pay much attention to the model attached to her hip.

"Kise-kun, I'm sure that at least one girl has turned you down before. Also, I will not accept your offer, so you should attempt to recover quickly," she says seriously and with cruel honesty. Kise stands up straight immediately, startling those close to the two ex-Teiko teammates.

"Alright, then," he says, cracking his neck. Hyuuga narrows his eyes. "We're here now," he says simply, waving at the building next to them, all signs of playfulness gone. Kuroko stands straighter too; he's showing his true personality in front of others, so he must be getting serious. Kise turns to Kagami. "You know, I don't put much thought into my title as a Miracle. But I can't ignore a challenge as clear as yours. I'll crush you."

Kagami grins. "Good," he says simply, and Kise laughs lightly.

"See you guys on the court," he says, walking toward the benches, and Izuki shakes his head.

"It's like he changed his personality with the flip of a coin."

Takeuchi, the coach of Kaijou, looks at the newcomers with a critical eye. Where's their coach? He needs to discuss the arrangement in the gym with him! The clearing of a throat pulls his eyes down to a petite brunette, with short hair and a wide smile. It's sweet. Sickly sweet.

"Hello, Takeuchi-sensei! I'm Aida Riko, the coach of Seirin. I figured that you might want to chat," she says, and Takeuchi looks her up and down before sighing. She'll just have to do, won't she?

"Yes... as you can probably see, we have our gym set up a certain way," he says, waving to said area. "The game you're playing will be on half court, so that the others can continue practicing," he says lazily, waving to the other side of the gym, where people are dribbling and shooting. Aida smiles even wider.

So, the old man doesn't think they're good enough, does he?

"I see~," she says, leaning a little closer. "Well, we'll just have to make do with that... for now," she says, content with that barely veiled warning. That is, until he continues.

"Kise, what are you doing?" he exclaims suddenly, and Seirin turns to see Kise putting on his uniform and stretching.

"I'm putting on my uniform and getting ready to play, sir!" He chips happily, saluting once, and Takeuchi huffs in annoyance.

"You're not playing in this game! Think about it; we're going to win anyway. If you play, it'll be completely unfair!" He shouts, and Aida's jaw clenches. She can almost hear Hyuuga's glasses snap and Kagami's fists clench.

"Well then," Aida says opening her eyes to give the coach of Kaijou a deadly stare. "We'll see how this turns out for you," she says, turning around to walk toward the guest locker rooms. Kise looks shocked and guilty, then turns to Kagami and Kuroko with a happy-go-lucky shrug.

"Well, looks like I won't be a starting player!" He says, before winking at Kagami. "You don't stand a chance against me if you can't get Takeuchi to enter me in the game anyway," he mentions offhandedly, and Kagami's eye twitches before he stomps off. Behind Kise, Kuroko sees a boy with short black hair and silver eyes approaching them, looking ready to scold the model.

"Kise-kun," Kuroko says quickly, turning to leave. Kise looks at her, head turned just the slightest bit down; a show of respect.

"Yes, Kurokocchi?" He asks, and Kuroko meets his eyes somberly.

"You should continue warming up. You won't be out for long." She makes sure to say it loudly; loud enough so that not only can Kise hear it, but so can all his teammates, and Takeuchi. Walking away before she can be given a proper response, Kuroko ignores Kise's giggling in order to catch up with her now grinning teammates.

"They'll regret underestimating us," Hyuuga growls, and Kagami grins.

"We'll take them by storm."


	3. Complications

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

* * *

"I can't believe these guys! Do they really think they're so much better than us?!" Hyuuga shouts, tapping his foot in annoyance while watching Izuki stalk back and forth on the floor of the locker room.

"Well, they do make it to the Interhigh every single year. Also, even though we made it... we got destroyed in the first round. They have every reason to underestimate us," Koganei justifies, although even the usually happy cat-boy looks put down.

"That's no excuse for how disrespectful they're being," Izuki states with a frown, looking deeply upset. If there's one think Kuroko admires about her admitted favorite senpai, other than his 'good' puns, then it's his empathy and social skills. It makes him extremely respectful and honest; loyal, too.

It's obvious that this situation would upset him.

"There is nothing to it," Kuroko says suddenly, drawing all attention to herself. "We will just have to show them how incorrect they are through the way we play basketball." A terrifying grin spreads across Aida's face.

"About that," she begins, holding up her clipboard for everyone to see, "I have a good idea on how we should execute the first part of our revenge. Kuroko, I want you to pull your normal disappearing act; confuse all of them, make them feel weak. Then, Kagami, you go in for a dunk!" She exclaims, looking all to excited.

"...Revenge?" Kagami asks slowly.

"Disappearing act?" Kuroko asks monotonously, raising a single eyebrow.

"That seems a little harsh, says Mitobe," Koganei pipes up, and Aida crosses her arms, clipboard held firmly in her left hand.

"It may seem that way, Mitobe, but did you see the way they acted around us? They think they're going to be able to walk all over us, walk all over _Seirin, _and encounter no problems on the way. Is that what you want to happen?" She asks calmly, knowing how gentle the silent teenager is.

He looks down, then looks at Koganei and makes a few strange hand gestures.

"Mitobe says that he understands, and that you can go on with your plan," Koganei says, smiling, and Aida clears her throat.

"Okay! After they sub Kise in, and we all _know _that they will, our two newest regulars will show off the skills that we've been honing for the past week!" She explains, grinning ear to ear. Kuroko raises her hand slightly, and Riko nods at her.

"Which skill do you mean, Aida-san? The teamwork where I do pass circulation to only Kagami-kun, the teamwork where I do pass circulation for the entire team, or the entirety of Plan Z?" She asks, and Aida furrows her brows.

She hadn't even considered Plan Z yet, actually. Kuroko looks nervous and uncomfortable, which she can understand; after talking to her, Kuroko had awkwardly explained to her that she doesn't like scoring and she didn't feel comfortable doing so. Plan Z got it's name due to it's place as the last case scenario. Kuroko will need to be utilized as a big scorer.

"No, no!" Aida says, waving her arms around. "Not Plan Z! Don't worry Kuroko-kun, I won't pull that one out for a _practice match _of all things. We only use that if we really need to," she assures, and Kuroko looks much more relaxed all of a sudden.

"Am I the only one who's confused?" Kagami asks, and Hyuuga shrugs.

"Get used to it," he grunts, and Kagami shrugs off the conversation in front of him in favor of fantasizing how badly he's going to figuratively smash Kise's face into the ground.

In reality, Kuroko really _did _relax. It isn't often her anxieties are proven to be incorrect, mostly because she chooses to associate closely with selfish people (read: her ex-teammates and such) and therefore they have made her standards very low. Aida's look of absolute horror showed that the girl was definitely going to keep her promise, and only use Kuroko's power when absolutely desperate.

She hasn't felt so relieved for awhile now.

**...**

"That really wasn't a good idea," Kise murmurs to himself, sighing sadly while stretching his arms out some more. Judging by what he's seen of Kagami Taiga's playing so far, he uses his flexible arms to his disposal as much as possible, meaning that he'll have to be extra loose up there. He also stretches his legs out, because if he does that, then he can improve upon the copied moves he steals from the rabid tiger.

Some call his skill 'unethical'. He just thinks of it as a metaphor to the real world; nothing you 'create' is going to be yours forever, and your spot on the top is never going to be enough. Not if there's somebody who can do what you can.

And he _can. _Do what others can do, that is.

_Calling it 'Monkey-See Monkey-Do' really is a little cruel, not to mention the fact that it makes my skill seem weak. I suppose I shouldn't despise being underestimated... not that it happens much anyway. _

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The voice is so sudden that Kise jumps, violently knocked from his thoughts.

"Oh! Kasamatsucchi! You scared me... usually the only one who can pull that one off is Kurokocchi!" He exclaims, laughing in a bubbly manner. His captain only frowns.

"You didn't answer my question. What did you mean, just a minute ago, when you 'mumbled' under your breath? What wasn't a good idea, and why?" He asks. A sinking feeling fills Kasamatsu's torso, like a ball of lead in his stomach. Something just tells him that Kise's muttering has something to do with the game to come.

He makes a point of not underestimating people; especially not opponents. But he's also done his own research on Seirin. He did so as soon as he found out about the practice match, as he thinks all good captains and point guards should. It just so happens that he's both at once. The possibilities of them winning with their currently known members is slim.

"Well..." Kise trails off, a light entering his eyes. Kasamatsu narrows his eyes. After observing his kouhai for the time he's been on the team, he's noticed that he seems to have crazy mood swings. One second he's happy and cheerful, the next serious and somber, then straight to crying and looping back to happy.

Madness.

"What?" Kasamatsu asks, and Kise purses his lips.

"Just, what Takeuchi said to Seirin," he begins, and Kasamatsu ignores his lack of respect due to the admittedly dirty play his coach just pulled, "it was wrong."

"Yeah, I know. I didn't think you had such good morals though. Honestly, you would think that he would know not to underestimate people, at this point. It _was _wrong," he agrees, nodding, and Kise shakes his head quickly, looking at Kasamatsu with wide eyes.

"No, Kasamatsucchi, you're taking it the wrong way!" He exclaims, taking a deep breath. "I mean... sure, what he said was disrespectful, but... what I'm alluding to is the fact that the idea he was preaching; the idea that Seirin doesn't stand a chance; it's wrong. the fact of the matter is, Seirin has the ability to completely dominate us. But they won't," he blurts out, tongue tripping over the words rushing from his mouth.

Still frowning, Kasamatsu's eyebrows furrow. "What do you mean? That new player, the one with the red hair? Or this 'Kurokocchi' person you keep talking about that apparently goes to Seirin?" He asks, and Kise sucks on his lip before sighing.

"Both, honestly. Together, yes, but also separately. That guy, Kagami Taiga... he'll be a power to fear pretty soon. And Kurokocchi has the ability to take any game by storm. Kasamatsucchi... the mere fact that a slowly blooming flower, a _late _bloomer, but a flower nonetheless, will stand alongside a beautifully unfolded rose, should be enough to make your knees shake," he begins, before looking down.

"And?" Kasamatsu says, almost pleading, and he sees Kise's adam's apple bob.

"And... the thing is, we won't just be facing mere fact alone. Those people, the people capable of being armies on their own, will not only stand next to each other. They will also stand _across _from us. And I'm not playing."

Arrogant. Ignorant. Vain. Conceited. There are many names that people may dub Kise Ryouta's last sentence, but _deceitful _and _untrue _can never be considered options. Because although he hates the thought of being a pawn in a goddamn _team sport, _Kasamatsu can acknowledge that if Kise says that his knees should shake, then the blond is needed.

The only thing standing in their way is a fat, ignorant coach.

And that can be a far more difficult foe to face than you may think.

"I see," Kasamatsu mutters gravely. "Well, something tells me you'll be playing soon enough anyway," he trails off, turning away.

As soon as Kasamatsu has left hearing range, Kise whispers something else. "But even with me playing, Kaijou doesn't stand a chance against Kurokocchi. Even if her team is incompetent."

* * *

"I want a nice, clean game now!" The 'referee' shouts out, blowing a whistle shortly before tossing the basketball up into the air. Immediately, Kagami jumps, and his eyes widen when he sees just how quickly he reached the ball. _It's like the speed of my jumps has tripled! Can it be... is it Kuroko's running and training? _

After pushing the ball back in the general direction of Kuroko, Kagami plants both feet firmly on the ground. He swallows, reveling in the feeling for a brief second. Now that he's toned his legs even _further, _something that he thought to be impossible a mere week earlier, it's like he can feel the pulse of the floor, the smack of other people's feet on the springy hardwood.

Running off like a bullet, Kagami weaves through people who try to stop him, pushing his legs to get him to the hoop as quickly as humanly possible. He looks over to his right for a split second to see Kuroko's handiwork, and his eyes widen.

She doesn't look like she's even trying. She weaves like him, dodging and turning, but she has two times the players that tried to stop him due to the fact that she has the ball. The ball, which she manages to keep away from all of those who dare to get in her path. Tossing the ball of Izuki with acute accuracy to speed up her travel, she sprints past others in her way, easily catching the ball Izuki throws back to her without looking.

The ball is thrown up, effortlessly, and Kagami runs forward, jumping with all of his might. He feels his jaw drop at the feeling of flying; the feeling of walking on air. The ball is in his hands, and his instincts, honed to basketball, take over. Push _down down down... _

When he comes down off of his haze, Kagami's eyes widen. A basketball hoop sits in his hands. He lifts it up around his head, feeling both accomplished and indignant. "Hey, how come I never knew how big these were?! Seriously, it's bigger than my head," he muses, looking at the hoop with discontent, as if the reason he was unaware was the fact that the hoop had never told him.

Aida is elated. She hadn't even wanted Kagami to pull off the hoop, and yet, the single action made her silent revenge all the more sweet.

"Kagami-kun. Who do you think is going to have to pay for the hoop?" Kuroko asks suddenly, and Kagami groans, blanching.

"You're kidding! We have to pay?! It isn't even technically our fault!"

Listening closer, Kuroko can hear murmurs all over the gym.

"He pulled it right off! There are _bolts _holding it on!"

"Geez, that isn't natural."

"Maybe... we took Seirin too lightly?"

"Definitely. Did you see how they played Kaijou for fools?"

Apparently, Kagami can hear them too, because he reddens. "Oi, this isn't unnatural! The bolts were rusted, anyway!" The one who spoke of the bolts crosses his arms; he's one of the players practicing on the other half of the gym.

"It's still not normal!" He yells back, and Kagami's split eyebrow makes a twitching motion. Out of nowhere, he pouts, grumbling. He stalks over to Aida, then holds up the basket.

"What do I do with it?" He asks dumbly, and Aida shrugs.

"I was just going to... chat with Takeuchi-_sensei _now! Why don't you come?" She offers, and Kagami 'smiles' (read: sneers/grimaces) at the thought.

Takeuchi is about to explode. Kise had abused the hoop unnecessarily for the past few days after meeting up with that teammate he wouldn't shut up about, but still... the bolts _were _rusty, so the little bastards won't even need to pay for it! It'll be coming straight from Kaijou!

"Hello, Takeuchi-sensei," Aida says sweetly, and Kagami narrows his eyes, lifting up the hoop for all to see. "We apologize _deeply _for taking down your hoop. But I think we can all agree here that it was in desperate need of maintenance anyway, and therefore we cannot be held responsible," she says, a devious glint in her eyes. Takeuchi feels the foolish need to flinch.

"Yeah... sorry, man, but this thing is totally rusted anyway," Kagami drawls, completely disrespectful.

"Anyway," Aida begins, "since we can no longer use this arrangement... how about we play full court?"

_The little brat is exacting her revenge on me right now, isn't she? Goddammit... well, they're asking for it! _

"Kise," Takeuchi snaps, and the blond looks up from his spot at the bench, where he already swears his entire uniform. Seeing that, the coach of Kaijou twitches; was he truly the only one who had been played? Did his own _team _know something new was brewing with Seirin? "You're in."

Many begin setting up the gym correctly as soon as the words leave Takeuchi's mouth.

Smiling happily, Kise jumps up, giving a high five to the player being subbed out as he passes him. Much to Kagami's annoyance, he doesn't come toward him. He doesn't even spare the American a second glance. He runs (hops... skips? Whatever) up to Kuroko, still smiling. And although Kagami can't see Kise's eyes, he can feel a sort of energy rolling off of Kise that he hadn't felt before.

"I gave you a good offer," Kise says simply, his voice no longer holding the same enthusiastic edge as usual. "And now, I won't lose. Not even to you, Kurokocchi," he insists. Takeuchi and Kasamatsu's jaws drop; this tiny _female, _who both had admittedly almost forgotten about already, is the one who gains constant attention from Kise?

He may not have mentioned a name before, but it was clear that Kise definitely had some kind of role model; perhaps _more _than one. And this girl is... one of them? She must be. Kise wouldn't give her so much respect had she not been.

"I see." Although it is only two words, Kagami's eyes widen. Kuroko has her own aura, he realizes. You just don't notice it until you're in the presence of one like a serious Kise Ryouta. Calming waves, like a cool sea breeze, washing over your consciousness as if attempting to keep you from falling into the pressing presence ahead of you. "Then I am to expect you to come at me with all you have."

The two presences clash against each other, one pushing to overwhelm while the other seeks to stand firm and protect.

No more words are spoken, and the two break up.

Kasamatsu narrows his eyes. The girl had flown by him; she had, quite honestly, handed their butts to them on a silver platter. And yet, no more than a minute later, he had somehow forgotten her at all due to the crazy feat that Kagami Taiga had pulled off. Is it possible to remember one person over another so prominently that one is simply... pushed out?

He prides himself in being an observant person. So he'll do what he does best, and keep his eyes open.

"Kise," Kasamatsu calls out suddenly, and Kise meets Kasamatsu's eyes quickly. The point guard swallows; the golden pools seem deeper than usual, as if their normal appearance is a mere second-hand copy of what he sees now. "They took down our hoop. Make sure to return the favor."

Kise smiles. Kasamatsu has never seen him smile that way, in a way that reminds him slightly of the redhead walking back toward the court with the coach of Seirin. "Of course, Kasamatsucchi. I always return a favor. Besides... he challenged me. I _have _to play him... I'm not so mature as to let something so blatant go," he admits.

"...one more question," Kasamatsu says hesitantly, and Kise's eyes bore deeper into his own. "That Kuroko girl... who is she, exactly?" He ask cautiously, and Kise smiles mischievously.

"An old teammate," he says bluntly, winking once before turning around. Kasamatsu frowns. _Old teammate... wow, in a school with over a hundred players, that sure narrows it down! _He thinks at first, before sobering.

Wait.

Kise wasn't just any player, he was a _regular _at _Teikou. _Yes, he was a member of the Generation of Miracles, as he was reminded every day, but this girl... was she a regular at Teikou? Was she... a hidden member of the Generation of Miracles? Those are really the only options, and yet, Kasamatsu still feels his stomach sink. _  
_

It's then that he realizes that the sinking feeling isn't one of disappointment for being unable to solve a mystery. It's subconscious _fear. _

Because watching the clash of auras was frightening.

Watching the two 'ex-teammates' stare each other down was scary.

And, goddammit, watching them clash is going to be a mixture of horrifying and awe inspiring. He can tell already.

The game begins again with a bang, and Kagami reaches the ball first again. Again, he finds himself reveling on the noticeable change in his jumps. He passes toward Izuki, who, equipped with his Eagle Eyes, can always discern the best pass courses. But, much to his surprise, somebody is already waiting.

Too late, he realizes. The ball has already left his hands, flying toward Kise Ryouta's outstretched arm. Kagami internally swears. _Jesus, how fast is this guy? I know that Kuroko can run faster than him and all, but still... she's so much smaller than him, and it's part of her play style! Doesn't this guy just copy?!__  
_

Without the help of any other teammates, Kise bursts through Seirin's lines, eyes slightly narrowed and sharpened to deadly points. "Watch and learn!" Kise shouts, voice darker than Kagami has ever heard it. He jumps, and the ball flies into the hoop, with both of his hands firmly grasping the basket. The entire hoop groans, the bolts pulling taut and straining not to snap.

Kise falls to the ground with a thump. Kagami swallows. He isn't an idiot; Kise's dunk was much more powerful than his own. _Shut up! _He yells at the small part of his brain that still retains the 'flight' instinct. _You've prepared for this! You've begun the training Kuroko gave you, haven't you? So stop being so pathetic! Fight for what you want! _

"Tch. Hey, it was pretty good, I'll give you that," Kagami says nonchalantly, yawning. Kise frowns, and Kasamatsu kicks him lightly. The blond winces, more in surprise than pain.

"You idiot! I told you to _return the favor! _They ripped off our hoop!" He exclaims, and Kise laughs sheepishly.

"Yeah, well... that one isn't rusted. But Kasamatsucchi, we wouldn't be able to play if I had done that! Shouldn't you be happy that I didn't take off the hoop?" He asks, and Kasamatsu scowls.

"Whatever," he mumbles, still looking slightly irked.

The game carries on, as it always will.

Izuki gets the ball first, sending it quickly to Hyuuga. The shooting guard catches it, and in trying to pass it to Kuroko, gets the ball stolen. He frowns; and Izuki's eyes narrow. _So, they're sticking to their man-to-man defense, huh? They're trying to shut down our run and gun style... _

The game keeps going in the same fashion for awhile, and Kaijou pulls ahead. Izuki frowns, then narrows his eyes. He takes a deep breath, and his pupils dilate. Everyone around him suddenly turn into mere chess pieces on a board, and with a grin, he sends the ball flying toward where he _thinks _he picked up Kuroko.

The blue haired girl doesn't hold the ball for more than a fraction of a second before it's sent hurtling past Kaijou's lines and toward Kagami, who goes to make a dunk. Kise chases after him, and Aida shakes her head from the sidelines. _Geez! Every time Kise or Kagami gets the ball, it's like they're declaring war on each other! But still, it doesn't look like Kagami's having as hard a time with Kise as before... what changed? _

Meanwhile, Kasamatsu stands his ground, only moving slightly, ready to receive and send the ball in the best pass course the moment it nears him. But on the inside, he's confused. Kise seems to be focusing solely on Kagami, who, while admittedly difficult to play and extremely fiery, isn't the one who he had antagonized at the beginning of the game. He had wanted to play _Kuroko, _hadn't he?

Kagami jumps, forcing the ball past Kise's hand and into the hoop. Kise's eyes are wide. _How was I falling before him? I jumped after he did! _Shaking off his surprise with ease (adaptability is necessary to be part of the strongest team), he grabs the ball before it's even touched the ground, running off with a hard dribble.

Kagami growls; is the guy just copying him to make him angry, or what?

He chases after the blond, only to be blocked by the black haired guy from before. Kasamatsu, was it? He looks at the guy closely, and narrows his eyes. He doesn't like the Kaijou point guard very much. His eyes are a little too calculating for Kagami's liking.

If only he knew who else he would meet in the future; figures like Hanamiya Makoto, Imayoshi Shouichi, and, heaven forbid, _Akashi Seijuro. _

The first quarter comes to a close, with Kaijou in the lead, 39-29.

"This is a little crazy," Kobori pants, taking a large gulp of his water. "Who would've thought that Seirin could put up such a good fight?" He says softly, shaking his head slightly. Moriyama narrows his eyes in a rare show of seriousness.

"That girl is really cute," he says bluntly, staring across the court at the blue haired Kuroko. "But... I'll just have to ignore that for now," he says loathingly, sighing before turning to Kasamatsu. "They aren't just playing well, they're forcing us to play their game. We tried to shut them down with man-to-man defense, but they pretty much just bust through that with superior speed and unexpected pass courses."

"They're pulling us into their tempo," Kasamatsu simplifies, and Kise bites his lip from where he stands. He has not win. He _needs _to. He needs to show Kuroko how much better Kaijou is, so that she'll transfer to Kaijou with him. They can beat Aomine and the others together.

But subconsciously, he can't help but think of Kagami Taiga, a person who, although he isn't dubbed one of them, is technically deserving. He probably stands on the same level as some of the Uncrowned Generals, if he really thinks about it, and he knows why. Kuroko is already training him. He's worlds better than when Kise initially played him, and only three people are capable of whipping a person into shape that fast.

Momoi Satsuki, Akashi Seijuro, and Kuroko Tetsuki.

Perhaps... Kuroko can accomplish her goals with Seirin?

Kise shakes his head, shoving the thought out violently. What's he thinking?! Of course she can't! She'll get annihilated, and then all her dreams will be _ruined, _again! He has to win, and he will.

The aura that rolls off of him is different suddenly; it holds an underlying sense of tension as everyone gathers on the court again.

Kaijou keeps up the man-to-man defense, this time determined not to let their defenses fall. They might not be Yosen, but they get to the Interhigh every year, and they'll be damned if they get outplayed by a newly formed team.

Kise sees the ball headed to Kagami, and immediately, his brain goes on overdrive. His photographic memory replays everything Kagami can possibly pull; a drive? A fade away? Kise knows every possible action, and as he follows just behind the redhead, a shiver runs down his spine.

Kagami grins as he tosses the ball backward, to Kuroko, allowing him to run farther before receiving the ball again and making another dunk. Kise's eyes widen.

Coordination play. Dammit, she already told him! He should've expected this, he should've expected his only weakness to be played!

"I'm not playing you alone, bastard," Kagami mutters under his breath when he passes Kise next, both running to the end of the court where Kasamatsu has possession of the ball.

Kise runs to catch up with the rest of his team, when he realizes that he's being marked. But not by Kagami.

_Kuroko _of all people stands in front of him, and he swallows. He knows how good her skills are. "I never thought we would be playing this way, Kurokocchi," he says honestly, and Kuroko nods.

"Neither did I, Kise-kun," she admits stoically, and Kise takes the brief moment of hesitant silence that follows to run past her, shocked at how easy his escape was.

Except suddenly, Kagami is in front of Kise, and the ball is no longer in his hands, but in Izuki Shun's. The ball is quickly passed to Kuroko herself, who tap passes to Hyuuga. Another three goes in, and Kagami smirks.

"You can't win," he says smugly. "Not if our objective is to let you through!" Kise growls, looking deeply annoyed.

"Then I just won't go through!" He says confidently, jumping up. His eyes widen. Kagami blocks his path in the sky. About to take off dribbling, he Kuroko's blue hair out of the corner of his eyes. He swallows. _Kagami blocks the air, and Kurokocchi blocks the ground... they have me cornered! _

Kuroko steals the ball without another word, then throws it accurately toward Izuki, who scores himself. Managing to get the ball again, Hyuuga shouts, "fast attack!" With renewed vigor. Kise growls.

"I don't think so!" He shouts, breaking past Kagami. He pivots quickly, trying to find who has the ball, and his fist comes into contact with something soft. His eyes widen when he looks down, and he swallows as he stares in horror at his shaking hand.

"Referee time out!"

"K-Kurokocchi!" He shouts, bending down quickly to pat the bluenette on the ground, feeling her pulse before being pushed away. Her teammates crowd around them, and Aida cries out in alarm.

"Kuroko-kun, are you okay?" She exclaims, helping the girl to her feet. Kuroko lets go of her hands, swaying slightly.

"I'm fine, Aida-san. The game must... go on..." she sways one last time, before falling backward into Kagami's waiting arms. A drop of blood runs down her face, and Kise lets out a sincere sob. "I'm fine, really," she murmurs from her place in Kagami's arms, and the power forward growls.

"No, you're not," the tiger insists, lifting her up to carry her over to Seirin's benches. "It's fine. Koganei-senpai can fill in for you," he grunts, putting her down gently.

"It's fine, the game can go on; I'll tend to Kuroko-kun, don't worry!" Aida assures everyone, rummaging through her bag while biting her lip. "There's no way she can play anymore," she shakes her head, and Kagami sighs.

"We can just... make do..." he mutters, and Aida nods in agreement.

"The second years will make up our offense now, Kuroko-kun," Aida says softly, careful not to bother the blue haired female. Kagami crosses his arms.

"Oi, I've dealt with Kise the entire game, and he's super hard to shake. Are you sure this is a good idea?" He asks, and Hyuuga's glasses crack a fraction as he slips into clutch mode. He grabs Kagami's jersey, dragging him closer. Kagami's eyes widen.

"Are you doubting your seniors, brat?" He asks, deathly calm, and Kagami shakes his head.

"No, no! You guys have it covered, got it!"

Dropping the tiger with a grunt, Hyuuga cracks his neck in both directions. "Let's go. We can still do this. Plus, we have an obligation to now; one of our own has been taken out. We won't return the favor, so get that look off your face, Bakagami! We can show them up with what hurts; basketball!"

**...**

"Man, Shin-chan, you seem really excited to go to a game between two people you hate," Takao teases ruthlessly, panting as he pedals his 'friend' to their destination. Midorima huffs.

"First of all, drop the nickname. Second of all, even though I hate them, I do acknowledge them, and therefore, it would be foolish of me not to keep tabs on their recent growths. I'm not one who likes being taken by surprise," he explains, crossing his arms, and Takao sighs. Can't he just admit that he likes the guys, and he wants to see them play each other?

"Whatever you say, Shin-chan," he says finally, ignoring both of Midorima's pleas. Midorima looks up at the sun, which is covered by a cloud. Not even a large one, really, and in comparison, the sun really is so much larger. Clouds are just condensed water, aren't they?

But the point is, the cloud is capable of blocking out the sun, even though it's so much smaller, so much less consequential. Most people won't notice if a cloud blocks the sun for a moment, but to Midorima, it proves a very valid point.

Don't underestimate the smaller things in life, because even the least likely of things are capable of taking away the light.

These thoughts plague his mind as he thinks of the game between Kuroko Tetsuki and Kise Ryouta.

**...**

"This is bad," Aida says to herself, eyebrows pushed together. "We really need help now... if only Kuroko-kun could play," she mutters to herself, letting her shoulders fall. Movement in the corner of her eye makes her look, and her eyes widen when she sees Kuroko sitting up. "Kuroko-kun! Sit down! You need to rest!"

"Aida-san, I heard what you just said. Did you not mention that I could play?" She points out, and Aida groans.

"Kuroko-kun, that was just a metaphorical statement! I didn't actually mean you could do it!" She exclaims, looking concerned. "You need to lie down, seriously!" Kuroko just shakes her head.

"I can play," she says honestly. "I feel much better, and I am a fast healer. Let me do this, Aida-san," she says, looking deep into the girl's eyes. Aida sighs, then walks up to the referee.

"Seirin, member change!" He shouts out, and Koganei walks back to the bench, giving Kuroko a gentle pat on the shoulder mixed with a concerned face.

Kuroko steps out onto the court, then strides so she can stand next to Kagami. She glances back at Aida, and nods twice. Aida's eyes widen. _Plan... Z? _The coach shakes her head wildly, indicating that Kuroko doesn't have to if she doesn't want to, but the girl doesn't respond back.

She wants to score now. Her heart constricts. She wants to score. She does.

The ball goes up, and Kagami catches it. He tosses it to Kuroko, who breaks down the court, dribbling at a pace that confuses the eye and makes it hard to follow. And, before long, Kise stands in her way. "I'm sorry," he says simply, and Kuroko's eyes narrow. _I don't know this person anymore. Not at this point. This is your inspiration to score! This is why you need to do this! _

"So am I," Kuroko says simply, before running through Kise. His eyes widen. She breathes heavily; one of the downsides of her 'invisible drive' is the fact that she cannot breathe during the time she does so, seeing as she has to be absolutely silent. She jumps up, between the midline and the three point line, and makes a shot with her arms bent in all the wrong angles.

The ball flies up, before falling at an almost 90 degree angle as compared to her shot. Kasamatsu's eyes widen when the ball flies into the hoop, not touching the rim.

"If you are that eager to lose, then let's play, Kise-kun." Kise's eyes sharpen just slightly, and a microscopic smile graces his lips.

"Let's."

The fourth quarter seems impossibly long to those who witness it, to those who see the first face-off of two members of the Generation of Miracles. Even their own teammates, except for Kagami, who plays offensively against Kise when he notices that Kuroko seems to need a minute of just passing. He doesn't know why, but sometimes, scoring seems to look like it physically _pains _her.

And score the three players do. It's amazing, how far you can push the human body when trying to gain the one prize deemed worthy of such a brutal fight; the title of victor.

"Kagami-kun!" Kuroko shouts, ducking under one of Kise's arms, tossing the ball toward the hoop before he blond model can steal the ball. The redhead runs forward, grabbing the ball midair to force it through the hoop. The buzzer goes off, and the referee whistles.

"Seirin wins, with a score of 100-98!"

**...**

"Well, I can't say I didn't see this one coming from a mile away," a voice interrupts Kise as he washes his face, and he looks up to see a familiar shade of green. Sighing, he turns around to lean on the counter.

"Midorimacchi, can you really not see me without insulting me? And I see that old habits die hard," he teases, gesturing at Midorima's taped hand, in which an intricate fan is held. "And, yeah, I guess... I guess I saw it too. But hey, I'm lucky Kurokocchi went so easy on me, huh? Plus, she didn't even play her scary style for an entire quarter!"

Midorima snorts. "Man proposes, god disposes," he quotes, inspecting his taped fingers carefully. "And yes, you are lucky. I still hold the same amount of respect for her, but as for you, and that new number 10... with all the dunking you two did, you may as well have been two monkeys," the green haired miracle shooter says honestly, and Kise pouts.

"Come on, Midorimacchi! Dunks are cool!" He exclaims, and Midorima looks away.

"Three pointers gain more points. You're an idiot if you cannot see that," he says bluntly, and all of a sudden, a panting black haired boy busts into the bathroom.

"Shin-chan, I'm gonna kill you!" He exclaims, looking downright livid. "You just left me there, in the street! Do you know how _embarrassing _that was?!" He shouts, waving his hands this way and that. Midorima raises an eyebrow, before nodding at Kise.

"Not really, no," he says, following the mystery guy out of the bathroom. As soon as he's gone, Kise spins so he can face the mirror, then leans down on his forearms, glaring at his reflection.

Losing really sucks.

* * *

The following week passes quickly, with practices slowly getting more and more difficult. Kuroko keeps adding notes on Kagami, and additionally adds on new workouts and training for him to carry out. The girl revels in how quickly the red haired tiger can adapt.

When the weekend finally occurs, Kuroko is a little relieved. Her home is still empty, and Kise hasn't called once since his defeat, but she supposes that she did give him a lot to think about the last time they met.

_COINCIDENTALLY PLACED FLASHBACK_

_"I guess some things never change." Kise's voice had come on so suddenly that Kuroko had jumped slightly, the only sound on the street court being Kise's footsteps. "You got the ball in the hoop so... easily." _

_Kuroko looked away. "Ah. Yes, Kise-kun. How are you?" She asked, monotonous but still soft around the edges, and Kise sighed. _

_"How good can I be, right now? Look, I... I know that I was a little insufferable during the game and all, and I totally backhanded you... and even though it was an accident, that's unforgivable! Just... I have something to ask you," he stammered, and Kuroko nodded slowly. _

_"I know that it was an accident, Kise-kun. I do not blame you. And as for you question...?" _

_Kise cleared his throat. "Just... why did you disappear? Back then?" He asked, looking desperate, and Kuroko looked away. "Was it because... of that guy? That guy that you told me about? That you told all of us about?" He asked, and Kuroko licked her lips. _

_"Partially," she admitted, finally meeting Kise's eyes of molten gold, looking weak and vulnerable in the poor lighting. "But Kise-kun... that wasn't the only component of my decision. It had been a long time coming, and I guess... I guess I was just done with it. Do you understand?" She tried to explain, but Kise just shook his head. _

_"Done... with what? Us?" He asked, and this time, Kuroko shook her head.  
_

_"No, not you, just... the way you had all been acting, Kise-kun. I was done with that. And we all stopped coming to practices at all before even half of the year was over, so really, did it make a difference?" She asked, posing the question without needing an answer. _

_"So it was us," Kise murmured, releasing a deep breath, and Kuroko shook her head again. _

_"No. It was the changes that occurred, not the group itself," she assured, but still, Kise looked heartbroken. But she could see understanding in his eyes. _

_"But I suppose you're right, aren't you? I mean... we did stop showing up to all the practices. All of us. Even... even you and Akashicchi," Kise mumbled, before taking another step forward and placing a hand on Kuroko's shoulder. _

_"Kise-kun..." she mumbled softly, looking at his tearful eyes somberly. _

_"Tetsuki," he began, and she swallowed. He was being serious. "You need to be careful. Please. Sooner or later, you're going to confront others, like Murasakibara and Akashi. And they're going to need more than a simple beating to move on. You need to prove them wrong, Tetsuki."_

It had been one of the most serious conversations she had had with Kise at any point in time, so of course he still has to dwell on it a little.

Kuroko takes a sip of her tea, sitting down in front of her TV while trying to warm her feet under a decorative pillow. He has on simple black leggings and a large blue sweater, and her tea makes her feel nice and warm on the cool Saturday morning. The days have been getting warmer, though, she thinks with a sigh. She likes sweaters and sweatshirts. She likes the cold. _  
_

It's a rainy morning, but not overly so; something far beyond a light drizzle, but still below a complete downpour.

Out of nowhere, her doorbell rings. Standing up quickly, she puts her tea down on an end table before walking briskly over to her door. Whoever is there has begun knocking, as if she hadn't heard their ring.

"I am coming," she 'shouts' (for her, at least; she pretty much just spoke reasonably loud). She swings open the door, and swallows.

Aomine Daiki stands on the other side of the threshold, soaking wet, holding a puppy in a box. "Hey," he says simply, his gruff voice achingly familiar in Kuroko's ears.

"Hello," she says softly. There's an overhang above her door, so at least he isn't getting wet while standing there. "Are you coming for a visit?" She asks, and Aomine grunts.

"...yes," he admits, looking away before placing a hand on his neck. "Uh... also, this dog was on that court down the street, and... yeah, I remembered you sayin' that you wanted a pet or something, so I brought it here. Also, I knew that you wouldn't like it just... y'know... lying around in the rain," he rambles, not meeting her eyes.

"You came during the rain so that I couldn't deny you entrance to my home, didn't you?" Kuroko asks bluntly, and Aomine sighs, holding up the box with the puppy in it again.

"Yes. But hell, I picked up this puppy exactly why and how I told you I did, so... are you gonna let me in or not?" He inquires, and Kuroko stands aside, allowing the taller, tanner male to pass. "Also, don't tell Satsuki I'm here, because I already told her I would be going to practice."

"Understood," Kuroko says simply, taking the box and puppy from her old partner's arms. He strips out of his jacket, placing it neatly on her coat rack, then rubs his hands together, looking around.

"So... I just came to talk. About something," he says, and Kuroko raises an eyebrow.

"Very articulate of you, Aomine-kun. Please, come upstairs. I do want a pet, and so I will keep the puppy, but you were the one to bring him here, so you will be the one to help me clean it up," she says, and Aomine nods, looking down to avoid letting her see his smile (she still does; she's a lot shorter than him, so looking down isn't a great avoidance strategy).

"Fine, I guess that'll work," he says flippantly, yawning like he doesn't care. Kuroko barely smiles.

Aomine might be her nemesis, but he'll never be her rival. They get along too well for that to happen. "What did you want to speak to me about?" She asks as they trudge up the stairs, and Aomine swallows.

"Lots of things. Your school choice. Having a one-on-one when it stops raining. Your new partner. The puppy. Possibly transferring schools. Accepting gifts from Kise," he lists off, glancing at her sweater for the last one. Kuroko smiles a little wider at the list, and she sighs.

"I can't promise that I can tell you what you want to hear," she warns, and Aomine shrugs.

"Eh. Whatever. I didn't think you could. Might as well try, right?" He asks, and Kuroko nods.

"Right. Aomine-kun, there are towels in that closet. Please grab a small one. I will go fill the tub with warm water," she says, and Aomine nods in agreement. As she walks away, wet puppy and drenched box in tow, Aomine shakes his head and bangs it once against the door of the supposed towel closet.

"Jesus fucking... I'm so pathetic, aren't I? Came to ask about schools... hell," he mutters to himself. Finally picking himself up, he opens the closet and drags out a red towel (it looks pretty small to him anyway).

At least he got one thing right. _Possibly transferring, and her new... partner. I'm the only one bright enough to properly be Tetsu's light, _he thinks, a little snootily, before he closes the door gently.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, so I know that it might be kind of confusing, but I just want to clear something up. **

**To me, 'rivals' and 'nemesis' are different things. **

**A 'rival' seems more like somebody who you try to beat at everything, no matter how small, and who you cannot for the life of you agree with on many subjects. **

**A 'nemesis' seems like a person who you acknowledge and constantly challenge at a single subject, but can get along with outside of that single activity. **

**(I know they're probably synonyms, but that's just the way I think of it)**


	4. The Preliminaries Begin

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**I'm definitely leaning toward AoKuro, but just so we're all aware here, he's still going to be a stuck up ass for a good bulk of the time, because no matter how much he likes and respects Kuroko, his personality won't change too much. **

**But I do love stories where Aomine actively tries to ****_not _****be such an asshole around Kuroko, so I'll be adding that. Also, they won't actually admit that they want to be in a relationship until LATER, so sorry for that.**

**I want to thank everybody who has reviewed for your support! Also, Kuroko is still 168 cm tall. I'm not changing the height of the character just because she's a girl. All of her possible mates are still taller than her, so no worries there! ;)**

* * *

Kuroko's hands feel strange and wrinkly pressed up against her warm teacup, a foreign feeling that hasn't been apparent to her in a long time. Usually she showers too quickly to absorb too much water anyways.

Apparently, being stuck in the rain made Kuroko's new little puppy rather _against _water, and, by definition, _bathing. _But after he realized that it was warm and sudsy, he seemed to go along with it a little better. Too bad he only noticed a good 20 minutes after the process began.

"So, he's an Alaskan Malamute, huh?" Aomine says, looking at a page on the computer. They had looked up his appearance to see what exactly the puppy was. "You're gonna need to get him his shots and stuff... right?" He wonders, scratching his head.

"You will be splitting the cost of that trip," Kuroko says, placing her cup down to cross her arms. "You brought him here, and therefore you must partake in the responsibility of caring for him," she says sternly, and Aomine rolls his eyes.

"Jesus, it's like we're talking about custody rights for a child," he complains, leaning back on two legs of the desk chair. "Plus, you're gonna need to name it."

Kuroko picks up the damp puppy, grasping him firmly but not roughly. "You look a bit like me, don't you?" She asks the puppy, and a tiny pink tongue reaches out to lick her face. She nods once in confirmation, and then looks at Aomine. "His name is Tetsuki Nigou," she says, and Aomine twitches.

"First of all stop looking at me like that with the identical eyes! And second, it's a _he. _He can't be 'Tetsuki', it's a girl's name," he argues, and Kuroko sighs.

"Tetsuya Nigou, then? That is vaguely similar to my own name," she suggests, and Nigou licks her face as if telling her that he likes it. Aomine snorts.

"Whatever... hey, this website says that Alaskan Malamutes are supposed to end up being... like, 40 kilograms. He's gonna be pretty heavy, and a third of your height," he says, scanning over the website. Kuroko walks toward the screen, still holding the currently-tiny Nigou.

"Hm. Yes, it seems that he won't stay tiny forever," she says regretfully, but she smiles down at the puppy as not to offend him. "Do not worry; I do not love you any less for growing so fast, although I wish that you could share that with me," she whispers to him, and Aomine smirks softly.

"Heh," he chuckles to himself, arms still crossed, and Kuroko glances at him. He still sounds like a total jerk, and he _looks _like one too, posture slightly hunched, smile looking all too cocky. But that's what made Kuroko notice him in the beginning, and even though it's obnoxious in such abundance nowadays, it's just how he is.

He doesn't think before he speaks. And more often than not, he doesn't even realize that what he's saying is offensive at all. Or he does, but he doesn't read into people's emotions enough to see how badly it affected them. That 'cocky' smirk is just his real smile (as terrible as it sounds), and he _is _good at basketball. Fantastic, really, so he has the skill to back up his bragging.

"What else did you want to talk about, Aomine-kun? It is still raining, and according to Midorima-kun's older sister, it is going to continue raining for a good deal of the day," she says, and Aomine shakes his head.

"It's so weird, how his sister became the weather lady. Isn't his dad completely fucking obsessive about Midorima going straight to medical school and becoming a surgeon or whatever? Why'd he let _her _go?" He wonders, and Kuroko shrugs.

"I believe she walked out on her father, then moved in with her significant other to chase her dreams of forecasting," she explains, before locking a rock hard look on the ace of the Generation of Miracles. "But can you really talk, Aomine-kun?" She asks, crossing her own arms around Nigou to begin a silent standoff.

Finally, Aomine uncrosses his, putting them behind his head. "You always know when something is up, don't you?" He mutters. Before looking away, scowling. "My dad wants me to join the army like him and the rest of the 'decent' males in the Aomine family. I mean... I used to want to play professional ball, but that seems kinda juvenile compared to becoming a soldier, huh?"

Kuroko pulls up a chair, sitting down next to him. She places Nigou on the ground, and he curls up into a tight, warm ball. "If it is what you want to do, then you must be willing to fight for what you want," she says sagely, and Aomine sends her a look.

"Please. That's coming from Kuroko Tetsuki, daughter of the ever-successful businessman. Do you _not _remember why you ended up going to Teikou?" He asks, and Kuroko stares at him for a few seconds. "Sorry," he murmurs, letting his arms drop completely. "Guess I'm just a bit tense, y'know? I mean... I know that being forced to be a business person like you or Akashi sucks, and so does being forced into being a fucking surgeon, but-"

"Aomine-kun," Kuroko interjects for a moment. "I will admit, none of us have much of a card in how our futures play out. Did you know that Kise-kun's mother wants him to move out and live with her in the U.S. right after high school, then get into acting? Murasakibara-kun's mother wants him to become the CEO of their chain of bakeries," she says, before locking her eyes with Aomine's darker ones.

"But..." Aomine trails, looking at her deeply.

"But," Kuroko begins, "none of us are being forced to give in to something that we aren't already being groomed for. And you are, arguably, one of the best basketball players in _history, _Aomine-kun. You can become nationally; no, _internationally _recognized; you could play ball where it originated. What I am saying is that, no matter how dismal our futures seem, you are the only one whose life will be forcibly put on the line." _  
_

"I guess so," Aomine says, but he looks pensive. "Uh... moving on to a different topic... you wanna tell me a little more about your new partner?" Aomine asks, struggling to be nonchalant and avoid slamming his fist through Kuroko's computer screen.

"Aomine-kun, do not take it the wrong way," Kuroko says, a single brow delicately raised. "We no longer go to school together. Kagami-kun is a good person, and he's rather good at basketball. With the correct training, he may even be able to become like... us," she says, and Aomine glances at her incredulously.

"You're kidding. Look, this guy might; _might; _be able to reach Kise's level. Hell, maybe even Midorima's! But there's no _way _he'll even get _close _to me, you, or Murasakibara. We're the best of the best! Akashi is a different kind of scary, and you'd better _bet _that this guy, 'Kagami' or whatever, can't fucking outsmart Akashi Seijuro," he states simply, and Kuroko cracks her shoulders.

"You may think so, but I believe that Kagami-kun has a good amount of potential," she explains firmly. Aomine snorts. He begins ticking off on his fingers.

"He can't beat Akashi with brains. He can't beat you or I at partnership, offense, or defense. He can't beat Murasakibara at defense. Hell, he probably can't even beat him at offense when he gives an effort!" He says, getting into the conversation deeply. Kuroko looks at him.

"I told you I may not tell you what you want to hear," she says cleanly, and Aomine looks down.

His tensed arms and fists relax, and he immediately feels guilty. "Yeah. Sorry. I just... tch. It's nothing. Look, one of your arguments earlier toward me not being offended by the whole replacing me thing was that we go to different schools," Aomine starts, and Kuroko places a small, calloused hand on his arm.

"I did not replace you, Aomine-kun. You cannot be replaced so easily. But continue," she eases.

"Well... I'm your light. Satsuki's you're best friend. I mean, it only makes sense that you come to Touou, right? They're really into recruiting people with talent. You fit on that list perfectly," Aomine says, almost sounding desperate. "Wherever you are now _can't _suit you like Touou will."

"Aomine-kun, don't think that I do not understand what you are trying to get me to admit. I will tell you, if you want to know so badly; I am going to Seirin High School now, and I rather enjoy it. Also, it seems that your memory is failing you; do you not remember what Akashi said?"

Aomine's hands twitch, but he forces them to relax. "I know what he said. But with you, Satsuki, and this asshole Imayoshi Shouichi, captain of the Touou team, I'm sure you can out-strategy him. Plus, we can _destroy _Rakuzan with both of us, easily! No one can beat the Golden Duo of Teikou; Akashi fucking said it himself last year!"

"I think that is why he wanted us to split up, and to be frank, I agree with him," Kuroko says. Aomine slumps a little, and Kuroko clicks her tongue. "Aomine-kun... it is not you, nor is it Momoi-san. Not really. I would love to go to school with the two of you, but in terms of basketball... we split to have a challenge, did we not?"

Aomine lets out a short bitter laugh. "Please. You think he's gonna fucking play fair?" He asks, and Kuroko looks away. She looks away. She already did her own research, and she knows full well that no, he _isn't _playing fair.

"I find myself unable to answer that question at the current time," Kuroko answers stubbornly, and Aomine groans.

"Seriously! Jesus, people treat me like I'm a total fucking idiot outside of basketball! It's true, I'm no class president like Midorima or Akashi, but I'm sure as _hell _not Murasakibara! I'm obviously into basketball, and I know who the fucking Uncrowned Kings are. His team is stacked, Tetsu, and you'd better bet that he's gonna have someone to replace you," he says.

Kuroko's lips turn down around the edges, the closest thing to a scowl that he's seen on her lips since her last argument with Murasakibara. He almost regrets lashing out about Akashi, if only because of the minuscule frown.

"I am aware. The Rakuzan regulars; Akashi Seijuro, Mibuchi Reo, Hayama Kotarou, Nebuya Eikichi, and Mayuzumi Chihiro. After doing a little extra research, I already know of my replacement; the Mayuzumi Chihiro fellow. However, Aomine-kun, you know that the only possible way to counter my misdirection is with another user. And even if he shuts that down, you know very well that I have other styles," she says, and Aomine narrows his eyes with a low whistle.

"Damn, you did do your research. And your other styles...? I mean, I knew you were working on them back in the second year, but I didn't know you actually developed completely new ones," he says. "Also, do you know where the other two Uncrowned Kings are?" Aomine asks, curious now.

"I did not exactly advertise the fact that I have developed new ways of playing to many people. You know, of course, and Kise-kun knows. I spent a good deal of time planning to keep this from Akashi for this exact reason. He will inevitably try to shut all of us down against him, and the most successful way to do so against misdirection is obvious. He is simply in for a surprise when I do not use it against him," Kuroko says, confident.

"Oh? What about when he sees you playing different styles against other opponents?" Aomine asks slowly, clearly meaning himself. Kuroko sends him a serious look.

"Misdirection is not an easy thing to incorporate into basketball, Aomine-kun, and after you devote yourself to the style, you cannot stop partway through. You need to complete the training, or else you lose everything. It will be too late by the time he sees he play. As for the other two Uncrowned Kings... Hanamiya Makoto is in Kirisaki Daiichi now, I believe, and Kiyoshi Teppei is on my own team, although I have yet to meet him," she says, and Aomine smirks.

"Ah. Y'know, I'm looking forward to facing your team now," he says, and Kuroko glares lightly at him.

"Probably for all the wrong reasons, Aomine-kun, but I appreciate the sentiment all the same," she responds dryly.

Silence reigns for a moment longer, but not an uncomfortable silence. A familiar one. The same as when they used to sit together on the roof after practice, content just to eat popsicles and cool off away from prying eyes, hoping and praying that Kuroko's father wouldn't see them sitting haphazardly on the edge of his house if he was ever actually home to do so.

(Aomine's parents, of course, thought that he was having a sleepover with a friend from school. While that was true, they didn't know it was a _female _friend.)

"So," Aomine stands, stretching his legs. "You wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure," she says plainly. Aomine stands and stretches, walking over to her TV to look at her movie collection. Kuroko sighs. She wishes he could stay like he is right now; like he used to be. But she also knows that currently, that fantasy of hers is impossible. He's different now.

* * *

"Hey Kuroko," Kagami yawns, sitting down harshly in the seat in front of her. Much like a certain tanned player sat down at her computer a few days ago. _Now that I think about it, I suppose that their personalities and tendencies are quite... similar. Perhaps even more so than I first anticipated._

"Hello, Kagami-kun," Kuroko responds kindly, taking a moment to glance at Kagami critically. "I see that you had a particularly fierce battle with your uniform today, Kagami-kun, and it does not appear that you won," she states bluntly. A light blush tinges his cheeks, and he looks away bashfully.

"Yeah, well... the jacket is too small now, and the pants are too short. I don't know what happened, y'know?! Plus, I already hate ties, I didn't have time to properly tie my shoes or my belt, and I think I buttoned my shirt wrong," Kagami whines, and Kuroko sighs before looking at him seriously.

"Kagami-kun... it is obvious, the reason why your uniform no longer fits," she insists. "You have been working out constantly, and the exercises I give you are meant to show the fastest improvement as possible, which means that you have been gaining muscle mass," she explains.

Kagami continues to look baffled, and Kuroko refrains from rolling her eyes.

"They are not too short," Kuroko elaborates. "Well; maybe slightly. The problem is that the sleeves bunch around your shoulders, and your legs need more room to breathe now. However, I doubt that I can help you with your issues with ties, shoelaces, and buttons. That seems personal."

Kagami scowls slightly. "What, so now I have to get a new uniform? Really?! Why don't I just... I dunno, cut the sleeves off of this one?" He wonders.

Kuroko ignores his question, looking down to begin reading. Kagami takes the hint and turns around.

He doesn't mention ripping off his own sleeves again.

**...**

"I can't believe this; coach has skipped practices _twice _so far! This is crazy; and it's twice within two weeks, too," Koganei revels while the team jogs laps around the gym, a warmup for the stamina and endurace practice to come. Ah, the joys of conditioning.

"It is pretty strange, says Mitobe," Koganei continues in his close friend's stead. "He also says, doesn't she only skip practices when she's getting us a tough game?"

"That's right," Hyuuga says, adjusting his glasses (which were beginning to slip down his nose due to sweat). "Our first game was Kaijou, and we barely won that one by the skin of our teeth. We need to keep working! You heard what that blond idiot said; he's the worst of the bunch. Where would we be without Kuroko and Kagami?! Not to mention the three kings of Tokyo."

Kagami looks at his captain after hearing the word 'kings'. "Hey, who are they?" He asks, clueless as usual, and Izuki slows to run next to his kouhai.

"The three kings of Tokyo are the three schools who always win the Tokyo prefecture. They alternate every year, but I can't remember a time when one of them didn't have a spot as first, second, or third," he admits, before looking away. "It's true that we made it to the Interhigh last year, but we didn't stand a chance. We got _annihilated." _

Able to catch the hint for once, Kagami doesn't pry. He can guess that if they continue pushing forward in the competition, he'll find out eventually.

The sudden slamming of the gym doors saves Kagami and Izuki from the incoming awkward silence, and for once, all of the seniors thank their lucky stars for Aida Riko's dramatic entrances.

"Hey!" The coach calls out, looking giddy. "Everyone, get over here now!"

Everyone crowds around her, and she crosses her arms.

"Okay, so I have good news and bad news! The good news is that I've scoped out our first match of the Interhigh preliminaries; Shinkyou Academy! The bad news is that they have one guy that might just give us a little trouble," Aida says, frowning. "We won't get to face Seihou or Shutoku if we don't beat them! His name is Papa Mbaye Siki, from Senegal!"

"Is that even allowed? Getting transfers like that, I mean?" Koganei wonders idly, and Hyuuga rolls his eyes.

"Duh. Schools do it all the time. And I don't blame them. Think about who's rolling around the circuit this year; they want to stand a chance. I doubt they can if they depend on this guy, though," he says, and everyone understands what he means. _The generation of miracles is around now; do _you _want to be utterly destroyed? Well, neither do they. _

"Anyway, I figured this would be a good time to start extra practice for playing against extremely tall players. Here, I snapped a picture. Scary, huh?" She flips her phone around, showing everyone. Izuki puts up a finger.

"Well, it's pretty cute. Don't know how good it'll be at playing basketball," he remarks, and Aida turns her phone back around before sighing and smacking herself on the forehead.

"No, not the kitten! That's the wrong picture, sorry. Here, this one! Scary, huh?" She tries again, and this time, she gets the reaction she wants.

"Man, he sure is... long," Koganei states, eyes wider than usual. "What was his name? Pa-something?" He looks at Mitobe, who makes a few hand gestures. "No, Mitobe, I don't think it was Papanapa either."

"Papa-try hard?" Izuki asks comically, earning himself a glare from Aida and a smack from Hyuuga.

"Well, we need to call him something," Hyuuga mutters, narrowing his eyes and placing a hand on his chin. "And ideas? Kagami? Kuroko?"

Kagami shrugs. "I dunno. I'm the worst at nicknames."

Kuroko snaps her fingers. "How about 'dad'?" She asks, and Izuki shrugs.

"It works for me," he says easily.

"By the way, how _are _we going to play against this guy?" Kagami asks, and Aida smiles.

"I was just getting to that. Kagami, you're going to be having a few... private practices with Mitobe. We won't let this giant take us down!" She exclaims, getting similar enthusiasm in response.

Kuroko, not wanting to ruin the mood, decides not to mention the fact that her rival is, in fact, _taller _than this 'dad' fellow. Nor does she mention that whatever training they want to give Kagami will not work against the purple demon. She can get to that later.

"Wait, why just me? And why Mitobe?" Kagami asks, and Aida rolls her eyes.

"Bakagami! I'm your coach! Just listen to what I tell you!"

* * *

The match with Shinkyou Academy comes faster than Kuroko anticipated; practices seemed to pass faster without needing to come up with as much new training material for Kagami. Kise began texting her again during the middle of the week, and Kuroko had readily responded.

It's about that time; time for her to stop hiding herself away selfishly. As soon as the competition starts, all eyes will be on the Generation of Miracles, and she has no doubt that _somebody _is going to tell the press about her (her money is personally on Akashi, but who knows?). God knows how hard her life will get at that point.

At least she has the preliminaries to perfect her poker face. (A/N: haha it's funny because she doesn't need to)

"Oi, do you always act this spacey before games?" Kagami blurts out. Kuroko snaps herself fully awake. She glances to her right, and seeing Kagami glancing at her with concern, nods a few times.

"Yes, I like to think of strategies and the different ways the upcoming games may turn. Also, just considering the Shinkyou team; their mentality is one that I dislike. Basketball is a team sport, is it not, Kagami-kun? So what happens when an entire team depends on a single player? Is it even really basketball anymore?" Kuroko asks, posing a few questions.

"What about your old school team?" Kagami asks in response, and Kuroko notices their surrounding teammates shamelessly listening in on their conversation. "You were all super strong, right? So how did that work itself out, exactly?"

"I will be the first to admit that what were playing was _not _the team sport called basketball. We played basketball brilliantly, but we only played near each other, not as a unit. It is not a good strategy, because although we won, we could not stay a team for very long, could we?"

"Why did your team break up?" Kagami asks bluntly, taking a note from Kuroko's book. Hell, even if he'd tried to ask subtly, Kuroko would have heard what he wanted to know somehow. She's a mind reader, really, and it's so unfair!

"For many reasons. But one of them was certainly how dysfunctional we were," she says. Hyuuga, who sits in front of them and next to Aida, snorts.

"'Dysfunctional'? That's why you broke up?" He says, shaking his head with a smile. "Then what's Seirin? We're doomed if that's the biggest reason for a team as good as yours breaking up."

"No, it's different, trust me," Kuroko says, glancing at the floor. "The chaos that Teikou created was a malicious kind of energy. But here, in Seirin, it's just the opposite. What you have is a good kind of chaos."

"'You'? C'mon, Kuroko, you and Bakagami are part of the team too!" Izuki says, playfully whining, and Kuroko sends him a smile.

"I know."

The rest of the ride passes in relative silence, and a thought hits Kuroko like a two ton concrete block.

_Seirin... needs to win the Kanto regional preliminaries. They... no, we, are going to have to fight our way past multiple enemies to even reach the Interhigh. We... need to fight. This competition isn't already leaning in my favor. I'm not on a team that's already set to win every match. _

She hasn't been so exited for a match since her first year of middle school.

**...**

"This is nostalgic, huh?" Izuki murmurs, looking around the gym at the stretching players, basketball bags lying on the sidelines, a few die-hard fans in the seats for the first round of the preliminaries. _Nothing compared to when the actual competition begins... that's when the real crowd gathers! _

"Kind of," Hyuuga agrees, and all of the second years think the same thing. _Last year we had a different backbone, though. Last year, we had a laughing, idiotic brown haired idiot as moral support. _

"Hey, that's Shinkyou, right?" Kagami asks, pointing across the gym to another group. "I recognize the coach! You caught him in that picture you snapped of dad!"

Aida's eyes widen, surprised that an idiot like Kagami could catch something so inconsequential. Kagami himself is surprised, really, but not as much as Kuroko. Who knew that her training would take effect so quickly? In the back of her mind, the still childish part of her thoughts sticks its tongue out at Aomine, proud of the potential that Kagami Taiga shows.

"Yes, that's them," Aida says, and Hyuuga smirks. It drops suddenly when he surveys the room.

"Actually, I can't seem to find dad anywhere around here," he mutters. Koganei follows suit, then nods his head in agreement.

"Yeah, I don't see him! He'd be pretty hard to miss with that height, too!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, the door of the gym slams open, and a low moaning sound catches Kuroko's attention. Papa rubs his head in annoyance, bending down to enter the door. "Everything in Japan is so... short!"

"What are you doing?! This is an official match! Get over here!" The Shinkyou coach shouts, waving the dark skinned transfer over frantically.

"Sorry I'm late," Papa murmurs in accented Japanese, making the coach click his tongue angrily.

"Is that the only phrase you know fluently?" One of the players mutters, loud enough for all to hear. A stray ball rolls toward Papa's foot, and Hyuuga follows soon after, smirking apologetically.

"Sorry, that's mine," he says, nodding once before bending down to pick up the ball.

"Wait," Papa calls out before Hyuuga can leave. The captain of Seirin turns with an eyebrow raised, waiting for whatever the transfer needs to say. "Is it really true that you guys beat Kaijou?" He asks, and Hyuuga scans him with his eyes before nodding.

"Yeah, but it was just a practice game, why?" He asks, feeling like the answer is going to push him over the edge.

"Oh. I was brought here to beat the Generation of Miracles, but I guess I don't need to worry. They're weak, if you could beat them," he says flippantly, unwisely angering the entire Seirin team.

Papa goes to continue walking, either ignorant to or uncaring of the malicious glances being sent his way by many sets of eyes. Looking straight forward, he bumps into something soft, and looks down.

It's a little girl, with the strangest hair color. She has on basketball shorts and a white t-shirt, and Papa picks her up slightly before shaking his head at her. "No, little girl, no children on the court. You should run along now," he says, and when she shifts, a little bit of her uniform shows near her neck from under her white shirt.

Kuroko remains silence, instead settling with fixing an intense glare on the tall player. She gets enough of this from Murasakibara.

"Wait... she's a player? No way, I can't play against a _girl, _and certainly not one that looks so weak!" He protests, but he puts down Kuroko almost immediately after learning of their shared age.

"It's fine, Papa, we can just go easy on them," Tanimura Yusuke, the Shinkyou captain, jokes. Hyuuga steams. How dare they?! Are they going to be underestimated by every single opponent they face this year?

"Man, this is a huge disappointment. It really sucks that all of the people in this... Generation of Miracles... are children. I mean, how could they not be, if they got beaten by this tiny girl?" Papa continues on, looking all too nonchalant.

All of the members of Shinkyou go back to practicing, seemingly content to ignore Seirin for the rest of their allotted practice time.

"I feel a little annoyed, to be completely honest," Kuroko says suddenly, and all of her teammates turn to her in shock. It isn't very often that Kuroko will ever show emotion, and it's even less likely for her to admit her feelings in words.

"You really don't like losing, do you?" Kagami asks, realization dawning in his mind. "Of course you wouldn't; you _were _part of that group anymore. Well, I guess we just need to show dad that he shouldn't screw with us kids, huh?"

**...**

Even with Shinkyou holding a 5 point lead over Seirin, the opposing team can't help but feel that _they're _the ones being trapped.

"Rebound!" Hyuuga shouts, a clutch-mode smirk playing on his lips. "Run-and-gun!"

"Wow, I was worried at first, but he really can't score, can he?" Kagami says obliviously. He's referring to the training he did with Mitobe about pressure defense; how, even if you're shorter, you can push your opponent to shoot before they really want to or are ready to, therefore causing them to miss.

Obviously, though, his comment is perceived incorrectly by Shinkyou, and manages to hit home.

Tanimura shakes his head in annoyance, scowling. He'd watched Papa practice; sure, the guy certainly isn't on par with one of the Miracles, but he's still good! His accuracy rate is much higher than what's being shown in the current game. What happened?! The redhead blocking him certainly isn't enough to hold him back, so why can't he get the ball through the hoop?

The next few minutes or so pass in the same fashion, with Papa unable to make baskets when given the ball, and Seirin repeatedly being in possession of the ball.

Mitobe looks satisfied where he stands on the court; his work in training Kagami payed off, apparently, if his defense is anything to judge by.

Kagami on the other hand is growing progressively more impatient with being a defensive player; yes, Hyuuga, Izuki, and even _Kuroko _(although barely; Shinkyou is no Kaijou) have been scoring, but not him! _No, _he has to babysit the stupid transfer student! Isn't the _dad _supposed to watch the children?! Why is he stuck with the worst job?

"If I'm stuck here, I might as well make the most of it!" Kagami growls out when he jump, forcing Papa to shoot too quickly, then subsequently miss. Neither of them miss how Kagami's fingers almost brush the underside of Papa's shot, no matter how impossible it seems. The student from Senegal seethes.

It's impossible. The guy can't block his shots; he hasn't blocked his shots once, actually! So how can he force him to miss?! Also, if things continue as they have been, then the red haired 'Tiger' _will_ be able to block him, and soon.

_The pressure he's making me feel, both physically and mentally, are astounding! _Papa revels, glaring at Kagami's two-toned head.

"Oi, Dad, you listening?" Kagami speaks suddenly, glaring up at Papa. The Shinkyou player scowls, then crosses his arms. His eyes still follow the game; the pass course of the ball. Their teammates are all duking it out.

"What?" He asks, and Kagami smirks.

"Two things I wanna tell you. First of all, I'm definitely gonna block one of your shots soon, so watch close," he begins, only to be cut off by a severe scoff from Papa himself.

"Please!" He chortles, "I won't lose to a weak team like yours; especially not one with a tiny little girl like her!" He exclaims, pointing in Kuroko's general direction (or, at least, where he thinks she is. She isn't actually there anymore).

He spins away from Kagami, now unwilling to hear his second statement. With a grin, he sees the ball nearing him. _Heh, he'll block my shot? We'll see about that won't we?! _

Papa reaches out to catch the ball, and out of nowhere, it vanishes.

No.

Not out of nowhere.

Papa's eyes widen when he sees her. The little girl is dancing down the court, dodging every defender in her pathway, disappearing and reappearing, until finally, she shoots from past the three point line, earning Seirin another three points.

"Ah, if only you'd let me finish," Kagami says in mock disappointment. "What I wanted to say for 'second' was that that 'tiny little girl' is a lot tougher than she looks, and she can sure as hell give you trouble."

"My name is Kuroko, Kagami-kun," Kuroko interjects suddenly, appearing in front of the duo as if manifested from thin air. "I would like it very much if you would use it; this goes for you, too, Dad," Kuroko says, usually blank eyes strangely dark-toned and cold.

Aida shivers from her position on the bench, but it's a good kind of shiver, the kind you get when you have excited chills. It's nice to have another female on the team, even if she is a little bit of a closet sadist. Then again, so is Aida herself, isn't she?

Both teams go back to playing, but after a powerful dunk from Kagami, it's painfully clear who has the upperhand.

The first quarter ends 23-8, with Seirin taking a strong lead.

**...**

During the second and third quarters, Kuroko sits out, much to her own frustration. But she understands Aida's points. She had confided in the older girl, feeling like she could really trust her, and Aida was being a perfect gentlewoman about it.

Sitting out will help preserve her preferred style for as long as possible, not to mention keep her hidden for a little longer, although she will need to step out of her self-generated shadow soon enough. But now that she's watching Kagami play, now that she's watching her team play, and now that she doesn't already have a straight cut path to the win...

...it makes her want to be present for the entire game, somehow. And she hasn't felt this way since her first year of middle school. Although, back then, she never got to, since she was really just a secret weapon. But now... now, she wants to stand next to her fellow teammates.

But she won't argue with Aida.

"Look at him go," Aida revels, shaking her head while watching Kagami. "He really does have raw talent, doesn't he?"

"He does," Kuroko agrees. "Not to mention determination, and an innate ability to jump," she says offhanded, causing Aida to give her a double-take.

"Wait... what do you mean by that, exactly?" She asks, and Kuroko meets her eyes.

"At this point of the game, most players would begin feeling their leg muscles cramp up the slightest amount with every jump, considering the amount of sudden movement and jumping Kagami-kun was forced to do in the first quarter. But he just keep jumping. And not just that, Aida-san, but he manages to continually _increase _the height of his jumps. That's insane, when you think about it," she explains, and Aida nods.

"I wasn't sure if I was imagining that or not," Kuroko's senpai admits, flushing slightly. "I thought that maybe I was dramatizing it myself, to try and make it seem better than it actually was. But did you hear what he said earlier? He wants to directly block one of Dad's shots. Do you think he can do it?" She wonders, and Kuroko pauses for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Yes. I believe that Kagami-kun will be able to achieve what he wants to in the allotted time," she says, crossing her arms with a sigh. Aida places a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Kuroko-kun. I'll put you back in during the fourth quarter, and you can take them by storm!"

When the third quarter ends with Seirin leading, 60-51, Kuroko can't help but feel that she doesn't _need _to take them by storm. She can just ease into the game, and play with her team, and they'll still win.

**...**

Kuroko steals yet another pass, sending it flying to Hyuuga, who makes another three. Out of habit, Kuroko glances at the timer next, and her eyes widen in shock when it reads a mere 12 seconds. She glances at Kagami, who has yet to block one of Papa's passes, and a grim look of determination sets on her face.

Instead of intercepting the next pass course, she lets it fly toward Papa, who catches it swiftly.

"I won't lose!" The dark skinned young man shouts, jumping to make a shot, and Kagami growls. He knows this is his last chance.

Pushing with everything he has and more, Kagami lifts from the ground, both hands in the air. "You said you were disappointed in the Generation of Miracles, but you would be lucky to even be compared to them! You're weak!" He exclaims, and Papa's eyes widen when Kagami's fingers brush the side of his shot, then push down with all of their might.

The ball hits the ground with a dull thud, and Kagami pants after he lands on the ground.

The referee blows his whistle. "Game over! Seirin wins, 79-67!"

Kagami wipes sweat from his forehead then approaches Kuroko and the rest of the team, a wild smile on his rough features.

"I lost," Papa mutters, looking at Kagami with something strange in his eyes. "Hey, you!" He calls out, and Kagami turns to him.

"Eh?" He responds disrespectfully, and Papa looks into his eyes.

"Please; win your next games, for my sake," Papa says, and Kagami squints at him strangely.

"Yeah... uh, whatever," he sputters, looking at Kuroko and Hyuuga as if asking what the other player is getting at.

Seirin goes to walk away, and after ten footsteps the sound of a struggle fills their ears.

"You idiot! I would never say that! The next time we play, I'll destroy you, you hear?!" Papa's voice echoes through the gym, and Kagami whirls around angrily to see the giant being held back by multiple teammates. He grunts.

"Oh hell no, you'd better-" he begins, starting to stalk forward, only to be halted by Kuroko's pale, unassuming arm in front of him.

"Kagami-kun," she warns, and he crosses his arms. Papa keeps screaming as he's dragged away, and as soon as Shinkyou is gone, Aida squeals.

"We won!"

"Yes, Aida-san," Kuroko agrees, a small smile on her own face as well. The smile grows, but just barely, when she looks up at the stands to see a certain carrot-comparable figure stalking away, beaver statuette in hand, with a shorter, black haired boy following behind.

"Now, all we need to do is win all the others," Aida says, her voice taking on a hissing kind of quality. Hyuuga gulps. God help him.

* * *

For the next four games, Seirin remains comfortably on top.

Against Jitsuzen, they manage to deliver a loss with a score of 118-51. Kinga, who proved to be a more evenly matched opponent, is still defeated 92-71. And, finally, Meijou High is somehow taken down 108-41.

In the game against Meijou, the other team got the strangest looks of fear when they glanced at Kagami, which was later explained to the entire team by said redhead. _Yeah, last weekend, after the rainstorm, I went out to make a few shots, and those guys were acting like thugs on the street court. I showed them who was boss. T-Through basketball, obviously! _

Finally, when Seirin was faced with Hakuryo High, easily the most difficult of the four, they still managed a victory with 89 points over Hakuryo's 87.

"Hey, we're doing really good!" Kawahara exclaims, looking excited. Fukuda nods in agreement.

"Yeah! We can probably get all the way through Preliminaries easily, then move on to the actual tournament," he says excitedly, and Koganei shakes his head.

"Ah, the young and naive," he hums to himself. "I remember those days... they seem so far away. Yeah, just so you guys know, the hardest games have yet to come," he warns, and Hyuuga snorts.

"Please, that's an understatement," he murmurs. "We'll be facing the three Kings of Tokyo next."

"Oh, you mentioned them before," Kagami realizes. "Back before that practice match with Kaijou, I think! Yeah, but you never mentioned which schools were the actual 'three kings'."

"Seihou, the King of the North. Senshinkan, the King of the West. Shutoku, the King of the East. Every year, one of them ends up being the rep from Kanto, and they _never _let any other schools be anything above fourth place. They're considered immovable, immortal, invulnerable, and a bunch of other equally as threatening synonyms," Hyuuga says gravely.

"We're facing both of them next," Izuki says, no humor in his voice. "On the same day."

"Not to mention the fact that Shutoku recently got another famous resident," Hyuuga mentions, shaking his head. "Midorima Shintarou, the shooting guard of the Generation of Miracles. As I stated previously, we got annihilated last year; didn't stand a chance. So please don't bring it up, unless you want me to kick you in the shin and triple your training. Are we clear?"

Five first years nod in compliance, Kagami more eagerly than any. He's been on the receiving end of Hyuuga's punishments. Not. Fun.

"Hey, wait, isn't that guy Midorima Shintarou?" Kagami asks randomly, pointing off to the opposite side of the gym, where Shutoku is about to begin their own match. "Looks like they're about to start a game. From what you said, it's pretty obvious they'll win, right? Anyway, since we were just gonna go back home, can I go say hello?"

"Whatever floats your boat, Bakagami," Aida comments idly, waving him off toward the Miracle Shooter. With a sigh, Kuroko flings her bag over her shoulder and follows him. She can't let him get into trouble alone.

After getting changed, she now wears a pair of black and white basketball sneakers, ripped denim shorts, a black tank top, and her very own Seirin jacket. With her blue hair pulled back the way it is, she can't help but feel nostalgic about the days back in Teikou.

When she finally catches up with Kagami (his legs are longer than hers, and she wasn't going to run for this situation), all she can see is Kagami's victorious stance, Midorima's horrified face, and the green-haired shooter's sidekick grinning.

"What is going on here?" Kuroko asks as soon as she appears.

Takao's eyes narrow, but his smile stays on. How had he not noticed her coming? He always sees everything. Perhaps he _did _see her, he just didn't perceive her as a threat? But then, how did she fool his instincts?

"If you're going to feed him, you should train him too," Midorima says with a sniff, lifting up his left hand limply to show Kagami's signature on it in permanent marker. Kagami himself just snickers.

"Heh... I told him that I thought he would forget my name if I didn't write it there," he says, looking all too proud from his deed. Kuroko shakes her head; they're such children, really.

"Midorima-kun, I'm sure you can find some alcohol wipes in your nearest first aide kit. And as for you, Kagami-kun, I thought you were more mature than this. Also, Takao-kun, you surely could have said _something _to prevent this," Kuroko says, looking slightly annoyed. Takao looks surprised.

"How do you know me?" He asks curiously, and Kuroko nods at Midorima.

"He mentioned you once in passing, and when I inquired further, he merely stated that you were a teammate. I guessed that it was you." She decides to leave it at that; no need for dear Mr. Takao to know just how much Tsundere-Midorima mentions him in his messages.

"Oh," Takao says, pouting. "Just once? In passing? But I'm fabulous!" Takao exclaims dramatically. "Eh, whatever," he says after getting little to no reaction. "Let's go, Shin-chan~!"

Both assuming that their partners will follow them, Kagami and Takao both spin on their heels and walk off, leaving Midorima and Kuroko alone.

"I hear that you think you can beat teams like Shutoku, Yosen, and Rakuzan with nothing but a little teamwork and good dreams," Midorima says stuffily, and Kuroko nods her head, bending down to pick up the wooden beaver on the ground. She hands it to Midorima.

"That I do," she says simply, knowing that a great deal of his actions are merely him going through the motions to maintain a shield separating him from other people.

"Well, I am sorry to inform you that your ideals are impossible. You cannot win. Just look at the past; your team was crushed last year, and even though you are with them now... do you really think that you alone can fight against an entire team of talented players?" He asks figuratively, and Kuroko hikes her bag up further onto her shoulder.

"The past is a meritable citation, I will give you that much," Kuroko says in response. "Unfortunately, though, the future is ever changing, and never able to be fully seen until all events have come to pass. You cannot say what will happen when Shutoku and Seirin meet; you can only predict," she says wisely.

"Oh, so we _will _be meeting, then?" Midorima asks trivially, his glasses glinting, and Kuroko nods.

"I do not plan on being held up by Seihou, Midorima-kun."

"Well, at least we can agree on one thing... although I'm afraid that we still can't agree on so many others, most of which are directly connected to basketball. Believe me when I tell you that I'm going to prove to you just how naive your way of thinking is," Midorima says, and Kuroko nods.

"I look forward to that," she says, and the two finally break eye contact, turning and walking toward their separate teams.

* * *

"Y'know, this year... it's really gonna be crazy," Aomine says, lazing around in the shady part of the gym, and Momoi shakes her head at him.

"I still can't believe you didn't tell Tetsu-chan about the massive crush you have on her. I _also _can't believe that you aren't going to watch her game," she says, crossing her arms, and Aomine rolls his eyes.

"Please. Her team might be made up of four year old monkeys with arthritis in all of their joints for all I care; she would still find a way to become the Kanto rep. And so, since her team is apparently one step above the monkeys, I expect to play against this... this _Seirin _soon enough. Plus, I have my own games to prepare for," Aomine says stubbornly.

"That would be more convincing if you ever actually _prepared, _or _practiced, _or _didn't just sleep on the roof! _And are you seriously upset that she won't join us at Touou?! Honestly, Dai-chan, you know that we're pushing it just by being here together. If she were to come to, Akashi would come and burn down all of our houses so that we would be forced to move apart from each other!" Momoi exclaims, waving her arms all about.

"He wouldn't go that far... I hope. And she _will _come to Touou... eventually. After I beat her, she'll have to, right?" He says confidently, spinning a ball on one finger.

Momoi turns away and walks to Imayoshi Shouichi, ready to give him an update on all of his players. She doesn't have the heart to tell Aomine that no, that isn't what the bluenette wants at all.

He needs to figure it out by himself.

"Hm... Midorin and Tetsu-chan have probably spoken to each other by now," Momoi mumbles, her strange sixth sense kicking in. "I wonder how that went. Probably better than my little chat with Dai-chan," Momoi whines, before sighing.

"Keep on winning, Tetsu-chan; someone is going to need to beat him, and it sure as heck isn't going to be himself," she continues mumbling herself until she finally reaches Imayoshi. When she does, she puts on a winning smile.

"Ah, Momoi-san... what do you have, then?" He asks, and Momoi points to a name on her clipboard.

"Well, to start simple, Sakurai-chan needs to..."


	5. Facing the First King

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**I'm stuck between AoKuro and AkaKuro, to be completely honest; I love the way AkaKuro can balance itself out, but I also was thinking about portraying Akashi as more of an antagonist in this story (in the beginning). The other part is how much AoKuro is ****_butchered _****by people; I want to write ****_good _****AoKuro, where they aren't all lovey, and they're pretty rough, but they still care about each other. **

**Tell me what you think in the reviews, please. (I'm also open to other pairings, or at least throwing a few more in there, if you want me to!)**

**Also, I just started school, but I'm still very sorry that this took so long! Also, my laptop broke. Like, the top literally disconnected from the bottom. But I got a new one. **

* * *

"What I don't understand," Kagami begins, pouting, "is _why. _Why me? Don't we have a classroom full of second years anyway?!" He exclaims, looking indignant. Aida rolls her eyes.

"Bakagami, it's just part of showing your respect. I don't know how you did things in the United States, but back here in Japan, we act _respectful _towards those who are older than us! Unless you're a delinquent. Now _pick up the boxes!" _She shouts, holding her clipboard threateningly.

"Fine, fine," Kagami mutters, lifting up the two cardboard boxes with his admirable arms. "But seriously, what is this stuff?" Kuroko looks at Aida in curiosity from where she stands; she carries only one box, as she had insisted when Aida initially asked.

"Videos," Aida says sneakily, a single wink following. Kagami blanches.

"C-Coach, I don't know if I feel comfortable carrying this for you..." he says, face turning just the _slightest _bit pink, and Aida chokes slightly.

"No, no! Not like that, you idiot! Jeez, it's the videos of Seihou, the King of the North. Their defenses are supposedly 'impregnable'. And I use the word 'supposedly' lightly; we were shown their defense when we played them personally, and they're nothing to sneeze over," she warns. Kagami looks relieved that his innocence is still intact, then narrows his eyes.

"Aida-san," he says suddenly, stopping, and Aida looks at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What, Kagami-kun?"

"Are Kuroko and I going to be able to play against the Kings?" He asks excitedly. Aida rolls her eyes again.

"Look, Kagami-kun; us seniors, we have a bit of messy business to clean up with the Kings. But you and Kuroko-kun, you're part of the team now. That means that when we fight them, the two of you will be standing next to us," she says with a smile, and Kuroko looks straight ahead.

Momoi had texted her earlier, about a certain member of Seihou; the team is formidable. But not formidable to stop her from reaching her goals.

**...**

"Takao, I kindly ask you to stop following me before I club you with this bear statuette," Midorima says calmly, expression completely poker-faced. Takao pouts, waving around the box in front of him once more.

"C'mon, Shin-chan! I know you're upset because your girlfriend's new bestie wrote all over you, but that _doesn't _mean that we can't watch the videos for Seihou together! Besides, aren't you a little old to get so jealous?" He teases. Midorima's eyebrow twitches.

"She isn't my girlfriend," he grates out. "She's the farthest thing from it, actually. And I'm not _jealous, _Takao, I'm enraged. Besides, I don't want to watch those videos with you. I already know how Seihou plays. It was one of the schools I was considering when deciding where to attend for high school."

"How come you won't tell me who she is?" Takao whines, completely ignoring most of Midorima's statements. "All you called her was 'a friend from the past'. Then you looked off into the distance! What was I supposed to think?! And anyway, just because we're a strong team, it doesn't mean we're indestructible. We do need to check this video out."

"No we don't. And trust me when I say that she and I aren't friends, Takao. Not anymore. At any rate, I'm not going to watch the videos, not when I already know the outcome before it can begin," he says, borderline snootily, but Takao just ignores his bad habits just like everything else.

"Huh? You're writing off Seirin so easily, Shin-chan? I mean, I know Seihou is strong, but do you really think it's _that _impossible for them to win? I'm planning on Seihou winning too, actually, but isn't that kind of cruel? Especially with your not-girlfriend on the team?" Takao asks. Midorima sighs.

"I wasn't talking about _them. _It's obvious that Seirin is going to win; believe me," he says. He spots Takao's reluctant look, and clicks his tongue with a scowl. "How about this; if Seirin wins, you pedal the cart for the next month, but I'll _also _tell you about my not-girlfriend," he reasons. Takao grins.

"You're on, Shin-chan! You're a little too confident for your own good!"

"It's not me I'm confident in," Midorima says softly, smirking, and Takao looks away for a second before looking back up at Midorima's eyes with earnest sincerity in them.

"So... do you really not wanna watch them? Because, I mean, I won't force you not to if you really don't wanna..."

Midorima sighs, then looks away. "Let's go set up the DVD player."

**...**

**To: Midorimacchi**

**From: You**

**Subject: How 'bout dem basketballs **

**Message: Heeey, Midorimacchi~! Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ How are you? I'm awesome! Anyway, I know you're going to be playing some games tomorrow, and just wanted to wish you good luck! ヾ( ゜∇゜ )ノ Send Kurokocchi my love if you run into her, just in case I don't! You don't need to send me anything back, I know that you love me anyway! 웃+웃=❤**

Kise looks down at his phone with a smile, and Kasamatsu looks at him in annoyance.

"Kise, we aren't even playing today. You still can't put away the phone? Is something wrong? Or is it just one of your fans?" He asks, frowning, and Kise laughs nervously.

"No, Senpai, it's not a fangirl or anything! I'm just wishing somebody good luck. They're playing today," he explains. Kasamatsu looks appeased by that, as if Kise annoying somebody _else _is actually a good thing.

"Oh. What team?" He asks now, and Kise smiles warmly at him.

"Shutoku!" He exclaims, and his smile drops. Oh. He knows who Kise is messaging for certain now; He knows where all of the miracles are, and when they will be played, if they get through all of the preliminaries they must. Which they will, to the best of his knowledge.

"Midorima Shintarou?" Kasamatsu asks, and Kise nods, sitting down. As soon as he does, his phone beeps. He opens it with a snap, then pouts, looking confused.

"Senpai?" He says suddenly, and Kasamatsu turns to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"What does it mean when you wish somebody good luck, and they tell you to 'go die'?"

Kasamatsu pauses to think about this for a second before shrugging. "It means that it's time to find new friends."

Kise almost laughs at that; oh, he _wishes _he could find new friends at this point most days. They're all falling into their own little black holes most of the time, so different from back when they first met, their group of friends filled with friendly bickering instead of death threats and long glares. And yet, he can't bring himself to regret joining the team, subsequently replacing Haizaki.

"I know," Kise says, looking down at the courts just fast enough to catch a bandage wrapped hand tossing a phone into a basketball bag with a small smile. "I know." But knowing doesn't mean doing, which is a life motto that Kise lives by nowadays.

**...**

"I'll annihilate all of them," Aomine mutters to himself, spinning a ball on his finger. "The only one who can beat me is me, anyway. And when the time comes that I can play Tetsu, I'll beat her too."

"I'm sure you will, Dai-chan," Momoi says softly, eyes half-lidded as she watches him on the roof of their new school. "I'm sure you will." _But that isn't what she wants. _"On another topic, you should start practicing again. I got into contact with Tetsuki-chan some time ago, and she's been training like a monster. Shouldn't you?"

Aomine smirks. "I already know that, Satsuki. But trust me, her new training isn't for me. It's for... other opponents."

"So that's where you disappeared to a few days ago," Momoi say with cautious realization. "And if not for you, then her training must be meant for Akashi and Mukkun, huh? But then, what does she have planned for you? You seem suspiciously unworried. This is _Kuroko Tetsuki, _the shadow of the court!"

"I'm not unworried," Aomine says flippantly. "Just confident. She's training someone to face me. Some bullshit about me needing a good opponent. Tch. She's the only opponent good enough to keep me busy in basketball anymore. Even Murasakibara was getting a little easy by the end of our third year at Teikou."

"And Akashi?" Momoi asks.

"He's a monster, yeah, but he's a monster of a different kind. Being able to use people's weaknesses against them is scary as all hell, and so is the ability to scare people into submission. He has a stacked team. But in a one-on-one, I would still win," Aomine says. "My basketball is all about adaptability. If he tries to make me fall on my ass, it won't work. And even if it does," he grunts savagely, "I'll still make my shot."

Momoi says nothing, because his words reflect the truth. Then, she sighs.

"I'm confident in you too, Daiki," she says seriously. "And your points against Akashi are legitimate. But if there's one thing he's good at, it's planning."

"Yeah, well, I'm no idiot, Satsuki. I have my own plans," Aomine explains. "After I beat Seirin, we'll have Tetsu on our team. With me and Tetsu together, we'll kill all of our opponents. Even Akashi admitted that together, we're a tsunami."

"Take everyone in your path by storm," Momoi says with another sigh. "Well, I'm going home now, Dai-chan. And I _expect _to see you in all of your classes tomorrow! I _will _check on you!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Aomine mutters, looking at the sunset sky. "I'll be there." He knows he isn't being honest, and he knows that Momoi knows it too. But right now, he's stuck in his own self-made haze of pseudo-strategizing and manipulation.

**...**

"Having fun, hm?" Akashi murmurs under his breath, smirking at the newspaper in his hands. It's a school newspaper, all the way from Kaijou. He has his sources, and getting it in his clutches proved to be no problem. "Ryouta, how adorable..."

Back before he had improved, when he had shown hideous _weakness, _he used to try to empathize with his teammates, to grow bonds with them in a friendly way. He had made an honest effort to help Kuroko Tetsuki, the poor invisible girl who played so _perfectly, _yet got overlooked so often. But isn't that ridiculous? Trying to empathize with your underlings, with people who belong _beneath _you?

And then, there's Shintarou, whose smarts are decent but will never be _his, _and Ryouta's legendary golden eyes, slanted and cat-like in nature and yet never as striking as his own. Atsushi's unwavering obedience has never wavered.

Then there's Daiki and Tetsuki. Daiki, and his inability to give up when he's lost. Daiki, unable to see that _he already gave up Tetsuki once, _and therefore _cannot _seek out her companionship, simply because he already lost and does not deserve her presence. Daiki, who can always adapt to every hurdle thrown his way in the most _infuriating ways, _no matter how much slower he is in the brain. _  
_

And Tetsuki.

Tetsuki, with her slightly above-average height for females in general, yet still so short in comparison to basketball players worldwide. Tetsuki, looking so gentle and fragile while having a body of calloused steel and a heart of diamond, because she should not lower herself to the 'golden hearted' standard that so many others possess.

Her brain, her strategies, that fiery look in her eyes when she told him that he would be toppled from his throne after their third year at Teikou...

Kagami Taiga is like a large chunk of iron ore right now, a large and useless thing to carry around with you unless you have the correct skills to whittle him down to the sharp perfection he needs. But Kuroko Tetsuki is perfectly capable of doing just that.

Akashi smirks. She can train that fool as hard as she desires, make him the sharpest sword possible, and yet, she will still crumble before him. Because _he _designed her training, and with his own secret weapon, won't she be rendered useless? Ah, the cruel truth of the world. Constantly spinning, never stopping for anyone standing so callously on his surface.

Mayuzumi Chihiro is an imperfect being, so similar to Tetsuki yet so _different _at the same time.

But he can make him perfect, of that Akashi is sure.

Then, and only then, can he truly deserve Kuroko Tetsuki. Because in this world of theirs, you need to be above something to deserve it. And he cannot stand being on equal grounds with anyone, even if that 'anyone' has endless blue eyes and silken blue hair.

_Especially_ not then.

* * *

"Are you ready to win?" Hyuuga asks with a cocky smile, but Izuki can see the nerves hidden behind his shining glasses.

"You know I am," Kagami answers, voice just as confident. But Izuki can sense no wavering spirit this time, and he smiles genuinely at that. The Seirin changing room is always eventful, with inedible food from Aida for 'helping' against fatigue, and Kagami-the-spitfire. "Who cares if they have their dumb 'Ancient-martial-arts' in their roots? We can still beat 'em!"

"Mitobe hates to be the voice of reason here," Koganei says nervously, "but is he the only one who remembers what Kuroko said?"

Silence.

"Of course we remember, fruitcake, we were just trying to forget," Hyuuga says frustratedly, glaring toward the strange pair. "We already have our plan, so now we just need to roll with it!"

"But she said that this new Tomoki Tsugawa guy could block Kise Ryouta. He was a member of the legendary team!" Koganei retorts, looking nervous. Kuroko clears her throat lightly, wanting to avoid confrontation. Perhaps she shouldn't have shared that small piece of information.

"If you all remember correctly, both Kagami-kun and I are capable of handling Kise-kun, who improved drastically since Tomoki-kun was able to keep him at bay. We should both be able to handle him _at least, _so there is nothing to worry about, Koganei-kun," she promises. "He is especially good at defense, but he has also studied the technique of Seihou. You are all prepared for him."

"Somehow, you saying that so clearly, like it's a fact, is very soothing," Izuki admits, and Kuroko nods her head at him in a silent message of thanks.

"Alright, are we all ready to win _now?" _Hyuuga asks, and the entire team smiles.

**...**

"If you stare that hard, your eyes will fall out," Kuroko says earnestly, making Kagami roll his eyes and pout slightly. Kuroko glances back towards Midorima's side of the gym, relived that he has looked away at this point, preventing the impromptu stare-off he seemed to be having with Kagami.

Hyuuga takes notice and runs over quickly to smack Kagami across the head.

Kagami blanches in response.

"Wha?"

"You idiot, you're staring at the wrong person!" Hyuuga rages, scowling. "If we don't beat Seihou, then how can you expect to play Shutoku? If you don't win against Seihou, then there's no playing against Shutoku, and no face-off with Midorima Shintarou!"

"I wasn't getting distracted, I swear!" Kagami exclaims. "I was just looking! I mean, he's supposed to be some kind of genius, right? Just like all of you are. I was just glancing over to check him out, okay?"

"That is both creepy and misleading, Kagami-kun," Kuroko says softly, shaking her head while she dribbles a basketball easily. Making hard-to-follow pass courses is her main concern in this game, so she'll be saving her quota of 'shots made before she feels nauseous' for the immediate game against Shutoku. She knows that they will beat Seihou with their iron will.

"You know, they're not really what I expected," Furihata says. "Not looming giants, I mean. That's the mental image I got when you said 'Kings'."

"Tall is more of a Yosen trait," Kuroko says under her breath, and Kagami looks at he curiously. Maybe he'll ask her later.

"Yeah, I guess there aren't really any big guys at Seihou. For a National class team, at least. Their tallest, if I remember correctly, is their captain Iwamura-kun. He's about Mitobe's height, but he's also built like a brick wall. Dense, and hard to break past," Aida says smartly. Furihata gulps as he looks over her shoulder to catch a peek of the captain himself.

"He sure is... wide," he whimpers, and Aida nods seriously.

"Mm hmm! That's what I mean by 'built like a brick wall', Furihata-kun! He's real powerful. Then there's their playmaker, Kasuga-kun; think Izuki, but less cool," she says, shooting a wink towards their point guard. "They're both third years, and the central pillar of Seihou."

Kagami ponders that for a moment. Isn't that what Kuroko was telling him about the other day? The whole _basketball is a team sport and nobody should ever depend on anyone else, not really, _scheme? Plenty of teams have central pillars, but thinking a little deeper, he isn't actually sure that Seirin has one.

Arguably, one could say that it's Hyuuga, whose threes more often than not change their games drastically. Then there's Izuki, the guy who thinks on the spot and somehow sees everything. Mitobe is the major defender, but he and Kuroko certainly can't be ruled out.

Depending on a pillar is foolish, really, because should that pillar fall, so does the entire team. But if they all lean on each other, then there will be a constant state of support on all sides.

"Hey, is that the guy?" The rude awakening comes in the form of a stupid (and this is coming from Kagami Taiga, airhead extraordinaire) bald-kid, jumping up and down like an idiot. "You're Kagami Taiga, right?"

Pretending not to feel completely creeped out and minorly disarmed by the fact that the kid already knows his name, Kagami raises an eyebrow.

"Your hair is so _red, _wow! It sure is _scary~!" _He exclaims, and Kagami's eye twitches. What the hell is he supposed to respond to that kind of statement? 'Thank you?' No way. No, he should probably demonstrate what 'scary' really means, just so that he never makes such a dumbass statement about his hair color ever again.

"Captain, it's him! I found him! Seirin is totally weak, but now they have a super strong guy!" He exclaims, and just as Kagami is about to angrily retort that _hey, punk, it isn't just him, there's also a female player here, _a sharp elbow jams into his side not-so-gently. He meets Kuroko's eyes, and she shakes her head.

Ah, so she wants to play it cool, huh? Stay invisible. What he wants to know is how the hell she's gotten away with not being found out so far. It's slightly ridiculous, actually. Plus, there's the fact that nobody seems to question her being on the court. He'll need to read a manual or something. Honestly, there's probably no _rules _prohibiting girls from playing on the boys team if they're good enough, it just isn't likely.

_There was a rumor, _Aida told him when he asked, _about a lone female player in the basketball circuit this generation. That's why the others and I were so unsurprised. And if you were facing off against a person who you thought was going to be weaker than you, would you really complain about it?_

Oh, yeah... People constantly underestimate her because of her size and gender, and if they thought it would make their 'win' easier, why would they speak up?

"What the hell did that brat just say?" Hyuuga says suddenly, and Kagami swallows, seeing his captain enter clutch mode already. "Somebody better shut him up before I castrate him!" At that, everyone but Aida and Kuroko wince, and Koganei actually _whimpers. _Iwamura, the aforementioned 'brick wall', scowls from where he stands and stalks over to the chattering first year.

"You! Get over here, and shut up!" He yells, grabbing him by the back of his jersey. Shaking his head, he looks apologetically at Seirin. "Sorry, he really doesn't know when to stop running his mouth."

Aida's eye twitches, but she nods nonetheless. "It's alright," she says, not believable in the slightest, but Iwamura still looks placated and walks away with the still-grinning Tomoki in tow.

"What a nut," Kuroko says monotonously, elbowing Kagami lightly for acting like such an anger filled idiot. As if she could read his thoughts. Tomoki freezes in Iwamura's grasp for a second, eyes narrowed.

"Wait," he called out suddenly, and he jumped out of his captains arms with renewed vigor. "I know that voice! I remember it from... from _somewhere..." _Kuroko raises an eyebrow, but offers nothing more. It isn't _her _fault that he doesn't remember getting his butt handed to him by herself after he completely halted Kise.

"C'mon, stupid!" Iwamura growls, looking more than a little ticked off by his younger teammate's crazy antics.

**...**

"Kise, what are you doing now?" Kasamatsu asks, not impatiently for once, just curiously.

"Listening to today's Oha-Asa predictions!" Kise says with a smile, and Kasamatsu looks incredulous at that.

"I didn't know you were interested in things like that. Or that you believed in them at all, really," he says, and Kise laughs loudly.

"I'm not the one that believes that all this stuff is true. Midorimacchi does! I'm just listening to see where he stands today! No matter how bogus it may seem, Midorimacchi always plays better when he thinks he has good luck!"

"That does sound bogus," Kasamatsu admits. "What's his sign, though?"

"Midorimacchi is a Cancer. And Kurokocchi is an Aquarius!" Kise cheers. Kasamatsu rolls his eyes.

"I didn't ask," he says wryly. Silence. Kasamatsu watches as Kise's face slowly drops, then turns to one of complete worry. It looks out of place on the normally bubbly blond's face, and he gulps. "What is it?" He asks, hearing Kise mutter a quiet _oh no. _

"This isn't good," Kise says, looking down at the court. On one side, Shutoku, ready to annihilate their opponent. On the other, Seirin, ready to fight for their lives against a team that tripled their score the previous year. Kise sighs then, and closes his eyes with a satisfied smile.

The horoscopes may affect Midorima, but they sure don't affect Kuroko. And she won't be taken down by him.

**...**

Right about to go onto the court, Kagami freezes. He glances back and sees Kuroko, shock still, glancing down at her shoes. "Oi, Kuroko, you okay?" He grunts out, walking back towards her with a nervous glance to the side; he knows she doesn't often act 'weak' in front of others. "What's up?"

"Have you ever hated basketball, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asks suddenly, and Kagami feels a breath choke up in his throat.

"No," he answers honestly, after clearing his throat profusely. "Never. I... I never had a reason to."

"I have," Kuroko plows on, ignoring the slight sympathetic twitch on Kagami's brow. "And it hurts like nothing you can imagine. Our seniors..." she trails off, glancing in the direction of Hyuuga, Izuki, and Mitobe, their senpai who will be facing their past demons alongside herself and Kagami. "I know how they feel. To hate something that you love, to be caused _pain _by something so close to you... it can be a fatal blow."

Kagami quirks his mouth to the side, not one to be put off by Kuroko's frequent deep monologues. He's grown fond of them, actually, as they make what they're doing seem deeper than just a sport. And to him, it _is _deeper. Basketball is his life. He wants to play professionally, at some point. "I can understand that," Kagami says.

"I told Midorima-kun that there is a stark difference between the past and the future, but that was not completely true," Kuroko says with a small sigh. "The past is always intertwined with the future, although in this case, it is simply a case of pride wounded in the past. The point is, Kagami-kun, our seniors _need _to win. Not just for the entirety of Seirin, but for _themselves. _Not that they'll admit it."

"We'll win," Kagami says certainly, placing a hand on Kuroko's shoulder with a smirk. "We'll beat Seihou, then we'll beat Shutoku. Got it? No need for all this doom and gloom."

"Thank you," Kuroko says suddenly, and Kagami laughs, pulling her gently towards the court. He _so _doesn't need an ignite pass to the face, and Kuroko apparently dislikes being pulled places. He learned that lesson the hard way.

"No problem," Kagami says confidently.

**...**

Aomine gnashes his teeth together, back pressed to the cooling cement of the roof. _She's facing Seihou, you know. It's supposed to have the best defense, apart from Yosen in Akita! Don't you want to see her play, Dai-chan? Tsugawa Tomoki is gonna be there too! _

Damn that Satsuki! Why did she have to say all of those things? She _knows _that he has a weakness for watching good games, and a game between the phantom of the court and the guy who could trip Kise up is going to be pretty good, rivaled only by the games in which certain miracles clash.

He and Kuroko.

Kuroko and Murasakibara.

He and Kise.

Midorima and Akashi.

Others.

He wants to watch the game to badly, but then, he also wants to fix... whatever it is that happened between himself and Kuroko. _The hell did I do, anyway? And why the hell won't Satsuki tell me? Did I say something at the end of the year, or what? _

If he watches her playing with his replaceme... her new partner, he'll get too angry to control himself. He'll snap. He'll steam and wait, and after watching Tetsuki kick the asses of Seihou and Shutoku, he would follow them, and then break 'Kagami Taiga's' nose.

God, even his _name _is less cool than his! Where was the color in his name, anyway?! Didn't they all need to have a color?! Ki for Kise, Mido for Midorima, Murasaki for Mura-my-name-is-too-fucking-long, Aka for Akashi, Kuro for Kuroko, Aoi for Aomine, Niji for Nijimura... okay, so Kuroko's and Nijimura's don't exactly _fit, _but they're still colors!

He reaches down into himself, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He feels it in his heart, and he's learned to trust his instincts. Kagami is just barely rounding the doorway that brought all of the miracles their fame in middle school, and even then, he'll need an army to push open the door.

Fists clench.

Too bad Kuroko is a one woman army.

**...**

"Kagami-kun, another foul on charging?" Kuroko asks, eyebrows slightly furrowed. Heart rate barely raised, she looks over to Aida, who looks similarly worried.

"What an idiot," Aida mutters to herself, eyes narrowed towards the red tiger. _But then again, who wouldn't fall into the trap of Seihou's defense, especially being carried out by a player on par with Kise Ryouta of the Generation of Miracles? I can't raise my expectations so high as to expect Kagami to instantly take to any opponent. But then... _a glance towards Kuroko. _  
_

She had jumped so easily into scoring against Kaijou, against Kise. Not that she had looked _happy _about it, exactly, but she also didn't look like she was about to be sick like she did during the first year vs second year mini game she had arranged.

Was that just because Kise was part of her old team? The team that she had vowed to pull back to her side of basketball?

Or would she be fine to fight against Seihou the same way?

Aida bites her lip. "Hold on a little longer, Kagami," she says under her breath. She's certain she can get Kuroko to play offensively, just as long as she can have a short chat with her. "Just hold on until the end of the second quarter."

Kuroko, on the other hand, is far more focused on her new partner. 0-12. Not bad at all, if she has anything to say about it. Not with the comeback she knows that they can make. "Focus, Kagami!" Izuki shouts with a small smile and a nod towards his kouhai, and Kagami grunts. Kuroko walks towards him again.

"Kagami-kun, you have two fouls now. Get five..." she trails off, and Kagami looks away with a grimace.

"I know," he says, and Kuroko nods at him. He understands the words that she doesn't say. _You said that we would win. This isn't about us. This is about them. They're still shackled by the past, and as long as those chains remain on, they will be stunted in their growth. _

The game begins again, and Kuroko takes her place on the court. She closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them. She pushes her right foot forward, and she disappears. Fool the eye, fool the brain, fool the reaction. She can see the shock on the face of her defender, and she runs silently across the court, avoiding other grappling pairs to get closer to Izuki.

He sees her, and passes her the ball. Kuroko looks around the group and frowns. All blocked. Every one of them. She can't disappear as well when she has the ball, b t if none of her fellow teammates can _get _the ball, then what is she to do? She makes eye contact with Kagami across the court. He's trying to get past Tsugawa again, and looks a few seconds away from snapping.

His eyes tell reflect exactly what she wordlessly told him. _They need to be freed. _With a sharp intake of breath, Kuroko jumps, strong calves making up for her lack of impressive height, skill and stealth making up for her lack of bulky muscle. The ball leaves her hands, and falls easily through the hoop. Across the court, Midorima's eyes narrow.

Since when did Kuroko play offensively?

**...**

At first, Aida smiles. Apparently, she doesn't even need to speak to Kuroko! Of course she would take care of it by herself!

Then, though, she sees her face. The frown she wears, the look in her eyes, the slight shaking in her legs and arms even though Aida knows that she can take far more than what she's already played through. She wants to tell the young girl a different message, then, wants to tell her that she doesn't _need _to if it's going to hurt her.

But it's too late. After that steely look enters Kuroko's eyes, there's no turning back.

**...**

Kuroko's stomach feels strange. So does her heart, she realizes. Too light, to empty, as if she's floating in the air. But then, she is floating, in a way.

She weaves through her opponents, ducking skillfully under Iwamura's waiting arm, sliding and flowing like water. Using her size and flexibility to her advantage, Kuroko makes her way down the court, ball in hand. She throws it, then. Throws it towards the backboard. With long, impossibly fast steps, she runs forward, past all of the obstacles in her way, then jumps and catches the ball that she just threw.

It's in the hoop.

And her head feels far away.

The look of admiration in Kagami's eyes doesn't help, because she's seen that look before. In her own eyes, pointed towards Aomine. Back when he was so much more, back when they were still partners, back when he was her superior instead of her equal.

The score is 6-12, and Kuroko takes a deep breath. The pressure all over lessens, and she looks towards Kagami again. Basketball is a team sport. And she refuses to take advantage of skill.

A member that Kuroko doesn't bother to name (a fact that will haunt her far into the night) grabs the rebound, and Kuroko runs forward again. She grabs the ball from his hand, dancing around his back and seeming to disappear again.

A team sport.

**...**

"Shin-chan, isn't that your not-girlfriend?" Takao asks, in awe, and Midorima nods with his jaw set.

"She's the one," he says, and Takao whistles.

"Man... I though Aomine Daiki was your ace?" He asks, eyebrow raised, and Midorima shakes his head in annoyance.

"Not exactly," he admits. "I mean, he got the title because he's a narcissist who likes scoring by himself. But before then, he had a partner. Somebody who he worked with. And that person... was her. She's the Phantom Sixth Player of Teikou."

"I thought that was a myth," Takao says in amazement. "I mean... a singular female player in an entire circuit? Madness!" He says, and Midorima smirks at that.

"Well, at Teikou, we prided ourselves at being unique. I suppose she was just a part of that image. I mean, the entire basketball team only got along in the first place because nobody else would exactly talk to us," Midorima says, not noticing the strange look on Takao's face.

"What do you mean, Shin-chan?"

"Takao, you've been around me for a while now," he says, and Takao nods. "Imagine an entire team of that. Nobody would want to be around that."

"Is that why you all broke up?" Takao asks, feeling an emotion akin to _pity _blooming in his chest towards Midorima and the others. _How strange. And after they annihilated my team, too! _

"No, I'm afraid we broke up for a far more... juvenile reason."

"Oh," Takao says, before turning back to the other side of the gym. He thought Midorima's three pointers were impossible. Then he saw Kise Ryouta copying things better than before at the Seirin vs. Kaijou game, and now he's watching a single female player rip apart the King of the North.

Yes, Teikou certainly did pride itself in being unique.

**...**

She slips seamlessly into Seihou's 'impenetrable' wall, then makes eye contact with a smiling Izuki. She passes it towards him, and he catches it with a jump. Iwamura's eyes widen, and Izuki smirks as he passes the ball to another. "Mitobe!" He shouts, and the second year jumps up with his deep, dark eyes completely focused.

Mitobe sends the ball flying towards Kagami, and the redhead catches it nimbly whirling around with a snarl. "Don't think you can hold me down this entire game!" He shouts, at Tsugawa, breaking past him while the rest of Seihou remains shocked by their pass courses.

A basket. Kuroko can almost feel Midorima's sneer from all the way across the gym. Three's are worth more, so they're better. That's what he always used to say, isn't it? But then, doesn't Kagami's dunk do _more, _in the end? Basketball is a very technical game, but it's also defined by morale and mental strength.

Kagami's baskets provide much more than understandable from an outside view.

"Ball out of bounds! White ball!"

Kuroko blinks, then looks down at her hands in alarm. She glances around covertly; last she knew, she was standing on the opposite side of the court. Had she honestly just played without thinking about it?

The thought makes her more nauseous than ever before.

"Hey, who're you?" Kuroko pivots on her heel, locking eyes with Tsugawa himself.

"Hello, Tomoki-kun," she greets. "I am Kuroko Tetsuki."

"Heh? Your name seems familiar, somehow..." he murmurs, before laughing out loud. "But anyway, you need to get off the court! You can't just be hanging around here, silly!"

"I am a member of Seirin," Kuroko says seriously, tugging at her jersey slightly, as if showing it off to the extremely unobservant teen in front of her. Tsugawa's eyes snap open.

"What?" He asks, eyes wide. "No way! I would've noticed you!" He shouts.

Kuroko shrugs. "I do not know how you didn't."

Neither does Iwamura, and he scowls as he thinks about the girl. She had completely destroyed them in a matter of seconds, only to return to her blessed invisibility a second later. What was her deal? He had almost completely forgotten about her, too, as if... as if she had never done anything anyway.

"What was that rumor," he mutters, before standing up straighter. "The Generation of Miracles..." he whispers suddenly. He shouldn't believe in the Phantom Sixth Member, rumored to be female but never proven to exist at all. But still, the player is a legend, just like all of the other Miracles.

It only makes sense. Why hadn't he made the connection before? Why didn't he remember something so important? He usually has such a tenacious grip on his thoughts, too.

He looks up and towards the girl, only to see Tomoki attempting to talk to her. He stalks closer, frowning. The guy is a good player, but his mouth has zero filter.

"Yeah, last year, Seihou was only _20 _points ahead of Seirin after the first quarter! This time, I'm gonna make it 30!" He brags, and luckily, the girl doesn't seem to be too alarmed by his statements.

The red haired beast behind her, though, is another story. As are the reactions of her seniors. Iwamura nearly winces; Seirin in the epitome of a clutch team, made up of players that increase their skill more and more under immense pressure and emotion. Tomoki just gave them a worth reason to fight even harder.

"You should go," came a voice suddenly. Tomoki looked surprised too. The gruffness of the voice is still there, but it's far more suppressed than when he was yelling at him for defending too well. Kagami Taiga.

"Yes, he should," Iwamura steps in, grabbing Tomoki by the arm. "I apologize for anything he may have said. He has good skill, but no brain," he says, shaking his head. Hyuuga looks annoyed, but just shakes his head.

"Just take him back to your side of the gym!" He snaps.

The game begins, and Kuroko slips back into their defense. The ball snaps back and forth through the impregnable wall of Seihou.

They'll win.

**...**

"Coach, you can't!" Kagami exclaims, split eyebrows furrowed. "We need to play!" Of course, by that, he means that _he _needs to play in order to try and beat Tomoki. But Aida shakes her head firmly, resolute in her decision. Aida Riko isn't one to be pressured into changing her mind, not unless the situation absolutely calls for it.

"No! I don't care _how _good your stamina is, and trust me you two are both good! Okay? But we need to preserve your energy for Shutoku! Winning against Seihou will mean nothing if we can't beat Shutoku too!" She explains quickly, and Kagami sits down on the bench with a childish frown.

"Fine."

**...**

Kuroko can't help but admire then as they play. They each have their own skills; hook shots, dunking, longer range threes... she can tell that her seniors had worked hard in the past year. Their movements are fluid and easy, meaning they had all practiced for a long time.

Just after admiring Mitobe making a dunk, she notices something else.

Koganei.

Running.

Towards them.

"Stop, stop!" Aida tries to warn, only to be completely ignored in the cat-like boy's frantic attempt to keep the ball in bounds.

"Oh god, I think he may be dead!" Kagami says, horrified, looking at the poor boy, whose eyes are closed tight, a cold towel on his head.

"He's not dead, Bakagami... but I think he may be concussed. He definitely can't play anymore, that's for sure," she says sadly. Kuroko can see the light bulb go off above Kagami's head.

"Wait... I can play! In his place! I can mark Tomoki!" He volunteers himself readily, and Aida frowns at him.

"You idiot! Have you already forgotten what I said?! We need you for later! You can't go back in! We need to _conserve you!" _Aida says, smacking him lightly over the head with her clipboard.

"Come on, Koganei is concussed, Tomoki needs somebody to defend against, and I want to destroy him!" He shouts, making Aida roll her eyes.

"That's even more of a reason to keep you out! You have four fouls now, Kagami! You're not going in while you feel so violent understand?"

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko interrupts suddenly. "You should stay on the bench. Should you get another foul, you're out. You understand, don't you?" She says logically, but Kagami only groans.

"Come on! I won't, I swear. Plus, that's the reason why I need to go in! To pay him back for this!" He exclaims, looking completely exasperated with all of their lack of empathy towards his 'suffering'. "Please?"

"If all you want to do is exact your revenge," Kuroko says, clenching her fists, "then let me do it for you."

Kagami shuts up for a moment. He knows she can do it, but if she does...

"You'll need to help score points, though," Aida says weakly, stealing the words right out of Kagami's throat. Kuroko nods, hiding her nervous swallow.

"I know," she says, not bothering to hide her determination as she usually would. They need to know how insistent she is on this matter. Hyuuga smirks, and laughs slightly.

"I, for one, approve readily. I think Kuroko should come out with us."

"Alright," Aida says, smiling herself. "Let's to it!"

"Seirin member change!"

**...**

"I was hoping for the other guy," Tomoki complains, looking the girl up and down. What's so special about her, anyway? He knows her from somewhere, too, but he just... can't remember. "You know, the red haired one? I was really looking forward to not letting him win."

"I apologize if I disappoint you. But I am here in his stead. I am here to 'destroy you and everything that you stand for'," she says monotonously, directly quoting Kagami himself. "I will do my best to live up to your expectations."

"I'll stop you, you know," Tomoki says confidently, and Kuroko shrugs.

"Give it your best."

And with that, she disappears. Tomoki's eyes widen, and he spins around, looking for her. She has blue hair, how hard can she be to find?! Wait, he can just trace their pass course. And that leads to...

...Tomoki gapes. He can understand how the invisible, apparently disappearing girl could slip by them... but how was the entire team pulling it off?

Hyuuga, Izuki, Mitobe, and ... Tsuchida? Tsukishima? Eh, whatever. Tomoki only remembered the names of people who he thought might prove to be an issue, and that second year was hardly worth mentioning at all. But he too is easily maneuvering around Seihou, easily evading all of them.

Always in their blind spots, always taking advantage of their center of balance...

A chuckle from his coach draws all of their eyes, and he sees him shaking his head warily. "They got us," he says, and Iwamura's eyes widen.

"We've never had anybody know our movements this well," Iwamura himself says, a look of almost-admiration on his face. Hyuuga laughs then, but humorlessly. He sounds almost rueful.

"We broke a DVD player to do this, so we better be the first," he says sarcastically.

"Specialization breeds habit," Kuroko contributes.

And with that, the game continues.

The next time Kuroko gets the ball, she frowns. Tomoki is almost close to finding her, so close to perfectly tracing the pass course... she can't take the chance of him finding her and beating Seirin altogether. Instead of releasing the ball, she dashes forward, dribbling the ball easily, weaving around other players absentmindedly. She could pass, but then again...

...the ball leaves her hands before she can contemplate more, and the feeling of horror in her core is enough to thoroughly shake her.

Faintly, she can hear a slightly growling building. She whirls around, and sees Iwamura. "You might have figured us out, but we're the King of the North! We have some pride!" He exclaims, grabbing the ball. Kuroko pushes off of the ground with the ball of her foot, focusing on breathing silently and moving like water; quickly, gracefully, and wordlessly.

He jumps to score, and Kurko's eyes widen as she forces herself to jump too. She used to have one-on-ones with Murasakibara Atsushi. There's no way she's going to let somebody of Iwamura's height slip one past her.

She can see the shock in his eyes when her fingers brush the ball, forcing it down, but just barely.

The buzzer goes off.

Seirin wins, 73-71.

**...**

Kagami rolls his eyes as Tomoki yells, making a fuss about how Seihou practiced harder and 'deserved to win'. "What a bunch of crap," he says out loud, and Iwamura nods in agreement, much to Tomoki's chagrin.

"The strong don't win, Tomoki," Iwamura says with a small smile of respect. "It's the winners who are strong." Hyuuga nods at Iwamura, and the gesture is returned.

"You know, you were right. I guess they did need that," Kagami says, turning around to talk to Kuroko, only to find her gone. "Huh? Where did she go?"

* * *

Kuroko bends over the family bathroom sink, arms braced on the side as she leans down. The pit of her stomach feels like lead.

She had played without feeling anything. _What's wrong if... you win... winning is what matters, no? _She had played without thinking, had scored without thinking. _At least 20 points, or your training... DOUBLED... _She had done exactly what she had vowed not to do.

_I don't even remember how to catch your passes anymore! _A hole in her heart is created to go along with the hole in her stomach, and Kuroko finds herself dry heaving into the sink again. She won't become like that. She promised she wouldn't become like them!

She needs to help them, but in that time... she can't fall herself. Who will drag them back where they belong if she is unwell too?

The creaking sound of the bathroom door opening hardly fazes her, as he remains above the sink.

"I saw your game," Aomine says. Kuroko swallows. "You did good. I can't wait to play you. I think... your new sidekick, Kagami Taiga, right? Yeah, Kagami Taiga. I think he's gonna be a worthy opponent."

And the feeling subsides slightly, because now she's thinking about Kagami, and how she had planned for him to fight Aomine the entire time.

"Really?" Kuroko asks, standing up straight. Aomine nods, as if Kuroko can hear it. She does not. She can feel it, though, and she sighs. "I look pathetic to you, don't I, Aomine-kun?" She asks, and Aomine shakes his head.

"Not pathetic. A pathetic person couldn't stand equal to Akashi Seijuro, could they? I mean, I don't really get yo sometimes, or why you're so guilty about being good at what you love. It's just how it is in life; people are naturally talented at some things."

_But what happens when that talent isn't enough? _

_Wasn't Ogiwara good at playing, too? And in the end, he had cried just like all the others. Because even if he is a king, there will always be gods. _

_And she was a god herself. _

"I don't want to be a god," Kuroko says suddenly, and Aomine shrugs, pushing himself off of the wall roughly.

"Do you get to choose?" He look down, deciding to leave it at that. He knows it isn't what she wants to hear. But it's what she needs to. Because when they play each other, he isn't going to be playing a Kuroko Tetsuki who can barely score without being sick in the bathroom afterwards. She and her sidekick are going to give him their all.

And if that means getting Kuroko to heal from... whatever it is that's wrong with her, then he will.

The only one who can beat him is him, in any case.


	6. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Hey, so I just wanted to say thank you for all of the support! Drop a review, okay? I'm not _not _going to update because you don't, because I hate when people are just I WON'T UPDATE UNTIL I GET 299990 REVIEWS but letting me know if you like this or not would be great! At this point, some things are really going to be changing. Not anything in terms of characters, but the way the games play out. **

**Throwing some "origin story" in there now, too! **

* * *

"Hey, watch it!" Kagami exclaims, glaring at the guy who had just rammed into him with his shoulder. He stands a little taller than Kagami; just barely, really, but his dark skin and dark hair (Jesus, is his hair blue? He was sure only Kuroko had that) make him look much more... malicious. Malevolent. Other threatening words.

He glances back at him, and Kagami gets the crawling feeling that he should know who he is. That strange, tickling sensation at the base of his spine, just barely there, and yet, still warning him of what a dangerous mistake it is to forget this person's face.

He's obviously a player, but who...

"Tch... I think _you're _the one who needs to 'watch it', Kagami Taiga. Before you get burned," the guy growls back, eyes flashing. He stalks off, leaving Kagami confused, angry, and slightly miffed.

Kagami looks around the hallway again. "Kuroko?" He shouts once more. He's been searching for ten minutes, walked through every hallway in the building, and still nothing. He's grown worried. _She better be okay... oh man, what about that game with Shutoku?! Isn't Kuroko supposed to prove all of her teammates wrong?_

"Kagami-kun," a voice emerges from the air, and Kagami sucks in a lungful of breath. "I am here."

"Yeah, I think I got that," he squeaks as a response, and Kuroko smiles up at him, just curving one side of her mouth up slightly, but that's the best he's going to get anyway, so he might as well work with it. "Man, I just ran into the biggest asshole you can imagine," Kagami says, unable to anticipate telling Kuroko the story while envisioning the tan skin and dark hair of said asshole.

"I highly doubt that, Kagami-kun," Kuroko responds, thinking of Aomine Daiki and his whole, _the only one who can beat me is me, tch! _attitude. "I have dealt with quite a few interesting characters in my day."

"No, no, this guy was off the charts, I'm telling you!" Kagami says with a quick shake of his head.

Kuroko's brain is fried emotionally, and her body is starting to follow, though more due to tense stress than actual labor. She can't even attempt to do the math and figure out the fact that Kagami's supposed 'King of Assholes' is actually the same as her Aomine Daiki.

Well, some other time, then.

**...**

"Seirin won," Takao says with a pout. "Guess I'm pulling later, then," he grumbles, before brightening. "But hey, at least you need to tell me _all _about your not-girlfriend now, right? So, I guess this is a win for me, and... well, mostly a loss, but... well, it isn't all bad!" He exclaims. Midorima rolls his eyes in a very Midorima fashion.

"She used to be a teammate of mine, as you very well know. She very much deserves the title of a 'Miracle', even if she technically isn't included by the public. She is the Phantom of the Court, after all," Midorima states easily. Takao hesitates for a beat of silence before releasing a breath.

"So, you were being honest earlier, then?" He asks in shock. "She exists. The one female player allowed in the game... she was really part of Teikou," he whispers. Midorima nods.

"Yes, she was. I'm honestly surprised more people don't remember her. But then, I really shouldn't be; it's always her decision whether or not she's seen, and I find that when she truly tries to hide, almost nobody can find her. I suppose that, in the end, she _wanted _to be forgotten. But not anymore. I've never seen her play so... offensively before. She wants to call attention to herself now," Midorima says with narrowed eyes.

Takao blanches. "But why?! If what you've said is true, then she can probably play with her current style, and remain completely invisible! Wouldn't that be so much easier?"

"Apart from breaking her extensive moral code, that would bring up a question that I truly cannot answer," Midorima says honestly. "Why? I don't know. What I do know, however, is that she's planning something that involves all of us. And I'll be damned if I don't fight back," he says.

Takao's eyes really widen then. "Shin-chan..." he mutters. He's never heard him swear before. Not ever.

"No need to worry yourself, Takao," Midorima waves him off, picking up his statue with his hand. "I won't."

Takao decides then not to acknowledge his friend's words as the lies that they are, and instead faces forward again, thinking about the game to come. Maybe he should have said something then, but instead, he keeps his mouth sealed, pretending that he can't see his friend's hand twitching just so.

* * *

_She was walking down the street, white backpack splattered with blue-paint, the kind of decoration she was allowed to keep because nobody saw her anyway. _

_**Nobody saw her anyway.** She wasn't bothered by it much anymore, but the thought was still melancholy when thought about too deeply. _

_She still remembered the day that her dad had seen it. The backpack, that is. Plain white, plain, plain plain plain, and Kuroko had hated it right away. But she never would have complained about it, because that wasn't what a kindhearted, polite, fragile little girl was supposed to do. She was supposed to smile happily and pack her backpack and walk away and never think about it again. _

_But her father could tell. "Boring, isn't it?" He had said, grabbing the light blue paint used on her walls and picking up a paintbrush. "Think it needs a little spark?" _

_Kuroko had been happy then. And then he had changed, somehow; the sadness got so much better for him, then worse again, then better, then worse, and then, it was all gone. He was gone, always, and sometimes her father's friends would visit, but mostly Kuroko lived off of the dry foods in the cabinet and eventually the simple meals she could make herself (most of which were variations of egg-something or other). _

_Ten year old Kuroko was sad and antisocial... and walking alone with her paint splattered backpack, still with her after years of use. _

_Out of the corner of her eye, she saw them playing. They were bouncing a ball up and down, like monkeys, she reveled, sometimes losing control of the ball and sometimes wildly throwing it at each other and missing. She just didn't understand it. Why? She walked over the the chain link fence, extending meters over her admittedly small form. _

_Why would they want to spend their time doing that? It wasn't as if they were gaining or losing anything through it; it was only a game, a game for people who needed... something. Something that Kuroko didn't quite understand yet. _

_She rested her hands on the fence, linking her fingers through the chipping-green wire diamonds, eyes focused on the game. She didn't understand._

_...yet she returned again the next day, and the day after that, and then the entire following week. For some ungodly reason, she kept walking home the same path (not even the most efficient route, either, not when there isn't any roadwork being done on her usual route), past the same court, watching the same people. _

_And she finally caught sight of him._

_It wasn't as if he was some kind of basketball genius; he wasn't even that good, and Kuroko could admit that to herself. But she'd seen him at school, one of the older students, sharing a school with her for a year and then moving out as she moved up. But she had seen him, and he was always alone. Nobody to talk to. Just like her._

_But he laughed and smiled while he played._

_Kuroko approached the fence, just like usual. This time was different, though, in so many ways, in ways that would change Kuroko's life forever. _

_Her pale fingers tightened around the fence, and her blue, doe-like eyes widened as she breathed in and out. She could see the beauty of the game. And so much more. The black haired boy caught the ball, the 'loser' from her school, actually getting passed to, imagine that! And Kuroko wanted to yell out to him. He had to trick the person in front of him. The boy blocking him was taller and stronger, but slower and had worse technique. Pretending to go one way would fool him._

_The boy did not, and he lost the ball. But he still looked happy. _

_She walked straight home the next day, and dropped off her backpack. She didn't bother changing out of her school skirt and white button up blouse before walking back out, locking the door behind her and heading towards the courts to watch for longer than usual. _

**_..._**

_The terminology was easy to learn after a week or so. "Sato, feint!" "Oi, pass!" "Make a three!" "Nice dunk!" "Damn, a fade away!"  
_

_Kuroko learned quickly by listening, and through looking things up on her phone and computer. Five different playing positions; the Center, the Shooting Guard, the Point Guard, the Power Forward, and the Short Forward. _

_She wanted to play. She looked down at her hand. _

_It was small, and pale, and weak looking. She looked up. All of the boys were tanned slightly, from being out in the Summer sun, and Kuroko frowned. She didn't burn very easily, surprisingly, but was being tan some kind of basketball necessity? "Hey!" Kuroko continued pondering. She had bangs, straight across her forehead, elongated towards the edges of her faces and just long enough to make her look extremely innocent. The rest of her hair was pulled back frequently. _

_"Hey!" But, even if she were to play... could she do well? Or would basketball make her even more lonely?" _

_"Hey, you! With the skirt and the bright blue hair! Would you mind?!" The voice yelled, and it suddenly struck Kuroko. He wasn't just yelling _towards _her, he was yelling _for _her! She looked up, and all of the boys looked at her expectantly. She looked down. The orange ball had rolled towards her unexpectedly, and Kuroko picked it up with one hand. "Just pass it here!" _

_Kuroko nodded slowly. She thought about watching the others play. Power comes from pushing quickly and from the chest area... she played volleyball too, so she might as well give it a shot. She threw the ball up, and waited for it to fall in front of her... then she pushed her right hand forward with all of her might._

_The boy fell backwards in surprise, ball in hands. He stood up, eyes wide. He looked at his palm; reddened and irritated. "Wow... you've got a good arm, you know that?" He said, looking at the girl more carefully. Come to think of it, he had noticed her watching them for a week or so, but had forgotten. Then... "Are you interested in basketball?" _

_A nod. Nothing more. But the hope in her eyes was almost tangible, and Sato looked around at his friends with a small smile. "Well, we can give you a few pointers. But first, you're gonna wanna buy some clothes that aren't... that. You know, clothes good for athletics and working out!" Kuroko nodded again. "Great! meet us here tomorrow!" And she did. _

**_..._**

_They called her a 'natural', which was both endearing and strange. They taught her to shoot, and she did so with ease. They taught her how to pass, and she downright excelled. They taught her how to properly warm up and cool down, which Kuroko appreciated, and as her skills improved, so did her body. _

_Not just her chest area, either, but that had been strangely active as soon as she turned 11. "An early bloomer, like your mother!" Hanamiya Sakura, Kuroko's mother's old best friend (why the woman still her was beyond Kuroko's imagination) said often, confusing the still naive young bluenette. _

_Her legs were no longer stick thin and unsure. They had layered on thin, lithe muscle, and the same could be said for her arms, her back, and even her neck. Not so much to become obvious, but Kuroko's constant practice had forged her into a small, easily underestimated basketball weapon. _

_And then she met him. _

_Ogiwara Shigehiro; all orange hair and smiles. He offered to buy her a popsicle once, and she had refused. She thought him strange, and instead chose to continue practicing her three pointers. _

_The second time he asked, Kuroko ignored him, favoring her water bottle after a fun game with Sato and his friends. _

_And the third time, she couldn't think of a good enough excuse, so she let him buy her one. And they were immediate friends. Ogiwara-kun turned into Ogiwara, which developed into Shigehiro-san and eventually Shige-kun. She played one-on-ones with him, and he was the best opponent she ever faced. That's when her skills began their first set of development. _

_"How did you do that?" Ogiwara asked one day after she had skillfully evaded his stealing attempts, and Kuroko replied honestly. _

_"I'm not sure how it works, exactly, but I can... see what would be best, in a sense. I suppose my brain does it naturally now. I look at you, and observe, and think about what you will do next, and then I can see what I am supposed to do. I can see what my best choice is, outlined in my head, like bright white arrows on the ground directing me. Does that explain it?" She tried, an Ogiwara shook his head with a smile. _

_"Perfectly," he said, but Kuroko missed the awe in his voice. "You're a genius, you know that? A prodigy." _

_Kuroko froze. She had never been called a prodigy before. Never. She was never that good at anything. "...thank you, Shige-kun." _

_"No problem."_

_Kuroko grew out her hair, or more accurately, stopped caring about how it looked. It grew to the middle of her back, and her bangs elongated until they could be parted on the side, and brushed apart. She liked the change; it signified the change in her life that she finally achieved._

_**...**  
_

_Kuroko's father was horrified at first when Kuroko told him of her new love for athletics, but had conceded to allow her to play. Then he promptly sent her off to Teikou Middle School, an elite half-commuting half-boarding school where she would remain for the rest of her middle school life. She could still travel home on the weekends or to have friends over, if she wanted, her father said. As long as she kept her grades up. _

_The survey went around, asking whether the girls would prefer a basketball team or a volleyball team. _

_Volleyball won by an enormous margin. And Kuroko was sad again. This time, though, she didn't have basketball, or Ogiwara, or even her paint splattered backpack. She was truly, utterly alone. _

_Then she found Teikou's fourth gym, and she had fallen in love. Not with a person, of course, but with the space. _

_With the scuffed up, aging shellacked hardwood, the rusting, ripping basketball hoops... even the old, creepy bleachers. They gave the place such a nice, warm feeling, at least to Kuroko. And when she found the basketballs in the utility closet? Well, her life got even better. _

_The messages from Ogiwara began around then too, because his parents had apparently given into his begging and bought him a phone. No backpack, but the best friend and the sport of her dreams were enough. _

_The haunting of Teikou's fourth gym began the day that Kuroko stepped inside. _

* * *

"Coach, I found Kuroko!" Kagami calls out with a grin as he enters the Seirin changing room, and Aida smiles at the pair worriedly. She hates depending on the two so heavily, but... if they're to win against Shutoku of all teams, they're going to need to give all they've got.

And unfortunately, Kuroko doesn't look 100 percent ready to do so.

"It's about time, Bakagami," Aida scolds mockingly, before clearing her throat. "Now, if you boys don't mind, I'm going to take Kuroko-kun here out into the hallway! I only need to talk to her for a moment, alright?" Kagami follows the two with his eyes, looking nervous, and Hyuuga tugs on his arm with a small shake of his head.

"Don't worry, Kagami," he says, dropping the nickname in a show of seriousness. "Whatever problem there was, it won't affect the game to come at all. Alright?"

Kagami isn't so sure, but he nods anyway.

Out in the hallway, Kuroko looks at her feet while Aida hugs herself, looking at he kouhai with her eyebrows drawn and her face resigned.

"Kuroko-kun..." she murmurs softly, stepping forward. She unwraps her arms slowly, allowing them to drop to her sides gently. "I want to win. I'm not going to lie, and I'm not going to try to tell you that I don't. But your mental health and general well-being are _worlds _more important than petty dreams of victory, and I don't want you to let anybody tell you anything different, understood?" She asks, eyes alight with sympathy.

Kuroko looks up at her senior, her coach actually being _shorter _than herself, yet still keeping her spine straight and her eyes clear.

Her eyes.

That's what pushes Kuroko forward. Because for a moment, she had been sickened by her actions, by the fact that she was playing a game by herself. But that isn't what happened, is it?

She was still playing with her team. She was still a Seirin player, and those cheers of victory and happiness that chased her from the gym and into the bathroom were _not _signs of her failure. The light in Aida's eyes shows a wish of good health and happiness upon Kuroko's shoulders, and the bluenette suddenly feels small.

They need her now. It isn't time for her mind to be making her seem melodramatic; it isn't time for her to panic over _perhaps _playing too offensively or _maybe _acting a certain way. Now is the time to extract the arrogance and turmoil from her friends, from her fellow players. Now is the time to put herself second, to put herself _last. _

And so, Kuroko looks up at Aida with a new fire in her eyes. "I will play, Aida-san. I will play even harder than when I played against Kise-kun."

She will take them down from their pedestals, even if her stomach wrenches and her chest aches with every throw.

**...**

Seirin stands in a tired circle, and Izuki glares over at the Shutoku team, who look just _merry. _"It's not very fair, is it? Us playing two Kings in a row, I mean. Especially on the same day," he says, the first real complaint Kuroko has heard from that doesn't concern respect. Hyuuga grunts, his average answer after getting into a zone.

"Well, life isn't fair," he growls, and Koganei swallows. _Already in clutch mode, hm? _"Here's the thing, though; we already beat Seihou. And these guys watched us do it. This team is arguably _better _than Seihou now that they have Midorima, and there's no way we're getting any sympathy from them, you hear? So what we're gonna do now is get out there, and run ourselves into the ground kicking their asses!" He shouts, his usual 'inspirational' speech causing the team to erupt in smiles. _  
_

Even Kuroko lets her lips tilt.

The referee blows his whistle, black and white shirt ruffling as he cracks his shoulders.

Before the two teams fully converge, Midorima looks her up and down, eyes clearly judging. "I knew you would make it here, but I have to ask, if only to sate my curiosity. Do you really hold that naive dream that you can defeat us through your strength of will? Truly?"

Kuroko pauses for a moment, then looks at Midorima with her blank game face. "Midorima-kun. The past tells you many things, and by looking back, I have found that your team used to be much better than Seirin in every aspect. In face, even today, you beat us in some corners. However, you cannot possibly think that we can beat you with only strength of will."

Hyuuga, who's heard every word, cocks his eyebrow in confusion. _Oi, Kuroko, didn't you just badmouth our team?! _

"We'll beat you using skills that surpass yours, Midorima-kun. That combined with our 'strength of will' should be just enough." Midorima twitches, and Hyuuga smirks at Kuroko's final retort.

"She really does have a mouth on her, when you can hear her, huh?" Koganei yells from the bench, translating Mitobe's hand signals. Izuki grins.

"Certainly does."

"Hey, Shin-chan, you only need to speak with this 'Kuroko' character? What about Kagami, the one over there, with the obnoxiously red hair?" Takao asks, just loud enough for _everybody in the stadium _to hear him. Kagami ticks. Why does everybody attack his hair? What's wrong with the color? Goddamn, Kuroko has blue hair, and Midorima has green hair! Plus, their names match their color and/or personalities! How do _they _not get mocked?

"No need," Midorima responds, cutting Kagami's self loathing short and replacing it with loathing towards the green head himself. "There's no need for me to lower myself to speaking level with such a pathetic being. At any rate, if he has something to say to me, he can communicate it through the way he plays. And if he can't do that... well, then he's even more pathetic than I thought."

"He sure did use 'pathetic' a lot in that sentence, Kagami-kun," Kuroko whispers to him, before locking eyes with Midorima and nodding once. "One of us will win, Midorima-kun. And may that winner be deserving," she says, adding another hidden blow to the team. "Let's play."

**...**

The game begins with the ball in the hands of Kagami, and Midorima's eyes set on Kuroko as soon as the tiger jumps. _Impressive. But not enough. If you want to win, why don't you show me the skill that you displayed against Seihou? _Midorima may not say it aloud, but Kuroko hears it loud and clear. **  
**

Meanwhile, Izuki clicks his tongue in irritation. _They're fast... as expected from such a well-rounded team. I was going to start off this game with a few fast passes, but clearly, that isn't going to work. _Out of the corner of his eye, Izuki spies Kuroko, who nods at her senpai almost imperceptibly. Without turning his head, Izuki sends the ball hurtling towards Kuroko, who, without holding the ball for more than a second, redirects it towards Shutoku's hoop where Kagami waits.

But Midorima is already there, long, spider-like fingers coming between the net and the ball. Kagami's eyes widen, and he glares at Midorima, who merely scoffs. "Please, you think you stand a chance with skills like that?" He dismisses cruelly, and Kuroko shakes her head.

Some things never change, and it was idiotic of her to underestimate Midorima, anyway. Or perhaps... she's overestimating Kagami? She can't let her friendship get in the way of his progress, Kuroko reminds herself. She notices then. The eyes in the head of the boy currently in possession of the ball.

Sharp and steel grey, they show a kind of knowledge that Kuroko has really only seen three other places; in the eyes of her old captain, with Izuki, and whenever she looks in a mirror. "Hawk eyes..." she mutters under her breath.

Up in the crowds, Kise bites his lip nervously. "They're stuck," he curses under his breath. Kasamatsu nods, and seeing the confused looks on a few of the second-string faces, he continues for Kise.

"In any basketball game, there are four quarters, each lasting ten minutes. That means that there are _also _at least three changes in the flow of the game, or, at least, there are three _opportunities _for the flow of the game to change. Right now, neither team is in the lead; they're stuck pushing at each other. But soon, one of them is going to bend, and their opposition is going to earn themselves the first flow," Kasamatsu says. Kise clicks his tongue with a small smile.

"Ah, Kasamatsucchi, you would normally be right," he says with a wink. "But not now. You say that there are three major opportunities to change the flow of the game, and that's true. But that's just it; three _major _opportunities. And it just so happens that both Midorimacchi and Kurokocchi have the ability to utilize _all _of their potential chances to push a game in their favor," Kise elaborates. Kasamatsu narrows his eyes.

"Kise, changing the flow of an already set pace and game is extremely difficult to accomplish," he says, and Kise nods.

"Yeah, and to be honest, I didn't realize that until recently. It isn't like all of us can; I can't, and Murasakibaracchi can't either, I don't think. Aominecchi can change a pace using pure force, but even Akashicchi forces himself into control in the beginning to keep the flow going his way," Kise says. "Midorimacchi and Kurokocchi are the only two who dedicated training time to changing the flow of the game. There's a lot of psychological gains involved, too."

"So I assume this game is going to be interesting to watch, then," Kasamatsu guesses. Kise nods.

"Yep! Probably in more ways than you think, senpai!"

**...**

Kuroko passes the ball back to Izuki, who catches the ball efficiently. Just as he's going to send it flying to Hyuuga, Takao runs forward with a wink (what a dork), and steals the ball. "Shin-chan!" He shouts, throwing the ball to Midorima, who rolls his eyes.

Kuroko frowns slightly. "Kagami, start running to the other side of the court, do you understand me?" She says softly, before running towards Seirin's hoop. Kagami pauses for a moment, then freezes, and follows Kuroko's instructions.

"Man proposes, God disposes," Midorima mutters under his breath as the ball leaves his hands, soaring high into the air and staying suspended for just a beat to long. The muttering of the stands praises his work, and Hyuuga fans his shirt in and out.

"The pressure is killer, isn't it?" He complains, and Izuki watches the ball with wide eyes. It plummets straight down, and through the hoop. Midorima turns around, already heading back to defend.

Kuroko grabs the ball as soon as it falls from the hoop.

In a single motion, she spins once and releases the ball, allowing it to fly at speeds almost invisible straight towards Kagami, who catches the ball with a small grunt and subsequently dunks it.

Midorima freezes and scowls, turning to glare over his shoulder at Kuroko. His eyes burn with something new, something that Takao has never seen, and the black haired boy swallows.

"You may have your shots, but you have challenged me, Midorima-kun," Kuroko says softly, loud enough only for those on the court to hear. "It seems that in all the confidence you've gained through your new skill, you've forgotten what I can do."

Kise smirks down at the court and shakes his head. "I'm cheering for you, Kurokocchi," he whispers, golden eyes following one of his closest friends as she locks eyes with Midorima and says... something. "And I'd kill to hear what you just said," he says even softer.

Midorima shakes his head. Takao has wide eyes, and he looks for spooked than angry. "She... has a pass like that too, huh?" He asks slowly, and Midorima nods.

"In fact, I almost forgot about that one myself," he says, eyes darkening rapidly. "Good thing she jogged my memory. I daresay I may have been underestimating her, somehow." _I won't let her get in my way, _Midorima thinks determinedly, mind set.

...and yet, the next time the ball reaches his hands, he can't help but hesitate before passing to Takao. Kagami smirks.

_We shut him down. Well, Kuroko shut him down. And so easily! All she had to do was plant the idea that he could be caught in his head, and he immediately stopped! I guess she was right about him when she told me that he isn't a risk taker, then. Strange for a guy who's so dependent on mega-threes. _

Kuroko, on the other hand, has far harder problems to work on. Well, maybe calling Takao Kazunari a 'problem' is an understatement.

Having experience hiding herself from Akashi Seijuro of all people, Kuroko should, by all fairness, be able to hide herself from Takao. However, this brings another problem. In hiding her presence from Takao, she will need to up the presence of another. That's how her misdirection works; she takes the attention away from herself, and pushes it onto someone else. It would be selfish to doom anther for a skill she doesn't _really _need.

Plus, if she hides from Takao, she'll also be hiding from Izuki. Takao's Hawk Eyes are even stronger than Izuki's Eagle Eyes. The first quarter ending, Kuroko glances towards the scoreboard and is pleased to find it reading 8-13, with Shutoku just barely holding the lead.

"I think I almost have her, Shin-chan!" Takao informs his friend cheerily, and Midorima looks away.

He doesn't want to ruin his friend's ideas or dreams or whatever it is that he's always going on about, but there's no way he'll find Kuroko unless Kuroko _wants _to be found. And that doesn't bode well for anybody. In addition, Kuroko doesn't have to use her misdirection to be a skilled player, and who's to say she won't switch her play style at some point within the game?

"Takao, you may find this hard to follow, but I want you to stop marking Kuroko Tetsuki," Midorima says suddenly, and the entire bench quiets.

"...why?" Takao asks slowly, sounding almost... hurt? Is he hurt? Midorima isn't sure. He's never truly been one for empathy. For some reason, though, he almost feels... pity for his 'partner'. Pity? Or sympathy? Or... Midorima cuts off his thoughts with a shake of his head.

"I believe that she's leading you into a trap, and you'll be much more useful against Seirin if you can use your skill against the rest of the team while I handle Kuroko. If she manages to trap you, you'll really be stuck, and something tells me that she has a plan," Midorima says, and Takao sits silently for a moment. He looks at Midorima.

There's a kind of nervousness there, in his long, muscular-yet-still-lanky form, as if he's afraid. Takao swallows once, then nods. "Alright, that's cool. I trust you to take care of Kuroko, okay? But... can't she trap you, too?"

Midorima actually scoffs at that, and for a moment, Takao is actually offended, until Midorima goes on. "She can only trap you because of your eyes. I have to wear these glasses for a reason, Takao. I'm borderline blind without them," he says, and Takao's eyebrows raise.

"You're depending on your own weakness to win?" He asks, awe in his voice. Midorima shrugs.

"Of course I am," he says. "Kuroko does the same. She's nearly invisible no matter what she does, but she learned how to use that as a skill instead of sympathizing with herself. And now I'll do the same."

**...**

The second quarter starts without a hitch, and both teams begin to feel the pressure of the clock as they get stuck in equilibrium again. Midorima looks up towards Kuroko; the girl's eyes are less veiled, and for a mere second, he's brought back to middle school, when they used to play against each other to test their skills, and...

Midorima scoffs out loud.

No words are necessary after that point. Izuki swallows when he sees the vertex that exudes the pressure on the court. Unlike when she faced Kise, Kuroko is silent, looking deeply at Midorima. Staring into his soul. He can't see Midorima's eyes, but something tells him that the guy is doing the same back to his kouhai.

Aida's words to him, meant for only his ears, return to his mind.

_Trust her, _she had said. _Trust her to be able to beat him. I know that... looking at her, like she is, might be hard, especially for you. I know that you find it easy to relate to her, you being so big on loyalty and respect, but Izuki, you need to let her do this. You can't protect her, not if you're only going to hide her from what she wants and needs to do to complete herself. _

So, instead of passing the ball to Kagami, who stands wide open, Izuki sends a fast pass towards Kuroko.

The bluenette grabs the ball out of the air prematurely, and whips it between her legs as she goes to break to the left. Midorima follows.

Kise's eyes glimmer up in the stands, watching the deadly dance of two of his friends. Of course, it isn't as if either of them are in the Zone, nor are they having a clear mental battle like they usually prefer. What he's witnessing is all of the pent up energy and feelings they have towards each other, all of the anger for misunderstandings and disagreements in basketball, coming out in an attempt to finally be proven right.

"I wonder," Kise says aloud, drawing the attention of Kasamatsu, "what the best way to score really is?"

Kuroko makes an obvious feint, then double steps and goes in the same direction as her 'feint'. With her left arm, she hurls the ball towards the hoop, then runs forward and catches it herself. With slightly narrowed eyes, she pushes the ball into the hoop.

_The balance leans toward Seirin. _

The ball heads over to Izuki, who pushes the ball to Hyuuga with unfounded energy and vigor. Hyuuga catches the ball, a scowl on his face, and jumps to score a three. With Kagami blocking the defenders, the ball goes into the hoop, and Kasamatsu's eyes widen when Takao somehow manages to grab the ball and send it hurtling towards Midorima. _  
_

All the way across the court this time, Midorima makes his shot, and Kise curses.

_The balance stays stuck. _

At the end of the second quarter, the score is 21-27, in Seirin's favor.

**...**

"Coach... you need to get all of the balls to me." The words rebound over and over in Takao's head, but not because of their arrogance, because of their tone. The Midorima who swore never to let anything get in his way with a snort and a slight flip of his hair seems far away. The resignation in his voice and the fire in his eyes made him look far more cruel, far more vicious, like the boy Takao faced in middle school. He looks across the stadium.

Kuroko Tetsuki. He remembers her now, slightly, the girl with the long blue hair who was able to put a halt to his entire team. He doesn't blame her, though.

He sees her taking something out of her bag. She lifts them up, and sticks them onto... her head? The bangs on the right side of her head are pinned down, leaving them out of her face, and Takao swallows. Well, pulling back her hair means that she's really trying, right?

Or does that just mean that she's just getting started?

**...**

The third quarter passes in a flash to Kagami, who spends most of his time playing partner-style with Kuroko. For some reason, after the second quarter, she wanted him to play a more offensive role, telling him that she would handle the defense. He understand why, now.

At the very end of the third quarter, Midorima gets possession of the ball again. Kuroko, Izuki, and Mitobe did a great job keeping the pass routes away from the Miracle Shooter, but in the end, there was only so much they could do. He jumps, and he shoots.

Only, there's a hand there now. A pale hand, with filed nails, and chipped light blue nail polish. Kuroko slams the ball to the ground, then passes it quickly to Izuki, whose eyes are wide.

The fourth quarter begins.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko says, frowning. Kagami looks at her expectantly.

"Yeh? What's up, Kuroko?"

"Do you hate me?"

Kagami freezes. "No! Why would I hate you? I'm exhausted, I think we _all _are, really, and you're doing so much to make sure that we win and can move on. Why the hell would any of us be angry at all, let alone 'hate' you?" He asks exasperatedly. Kuroko smiles at him slightly.

"Thank you, Kagami-kun," she says, and Kagami smirks at his new best friend.

"Any time. Now lets get out there and kick some more Shutoku ass!"

**...**

The fourth quarter.

With newfound determination, Kuroko takes the court, meeting the eyes of an equally as weary Midorima. Both knowing their limits, the two share a nod of mutual respect. Throughout the game, they had taken petty emotions out over idiotic arguments, but in the end, the result in the only thing that matters. So the last quarter will be dedicated to an even more juvenile game.

A game of who can score more.

Midorima makes a shot right off the bat after Shutoku somehow gains possession of the ball first (Kuroko notes Kagami's shaking legs with a concerned glance), but Kuroko is already waiting at the bottom of the net.

_The balance leans towards Shutoku, the reigning Kings. _

Kuroko makes a fast break across the court, darting through players heads taller than herself with frightening ease, her eyes showing her the routes that she needs to follow like there are lights in the floor directing her path.

Instead of going straight for the hoop, Kuroko jumps, then shoots the ball from past the three point line.

_The balance leans towards Seirin, the fast-rising tyrants. _

The pattern continues until there are 30 seconds left on the clock.

Kuroko has possession of the ball, and she jumps, pushing herself past the sweat in her eyes and the pain in her joints, and the shaking in Midorima's arms as he attempts to block just a second too late show that the fatigue is catching him, too. The ball falls through the net, and Izuki laughs in joy. 82-81. They win!

But no. Midorima runs, knees weak, and grabs the slowly bouncing orange ball from the ground.

He knows he can make it if he's fast enough. He wills his arms to rise, wills them to hurry, _hurry, _and he groans as he gets into a good stance. Kagami goes to grin at Kuroko, but instead sees her running, her eyes wide and almost scary. "Eh? Wha... Midorima!" He yells, gathering the attention of those who were unaware.

"The game isn't over until the buzzer goes off!" Midorima strains, jumping and going to shoot. Kuroko's eyes widen. She isn't going to make it to Midorima in time to stop the ball, so then...

She pivots, and instead runs towards the hoop. Seirin watches in horror, and Shutoku smiles, happy that they still have their title. Kuroko jumps with all of her might, pushing her fingers and cracking her knuckles to shield the hoop. Midorima's eyes widen as Kuroko deflects the ball.

82-81.

_The balance stays even, stuck between the Kings and the Tyrants. But still, a winner is determined. In the end, determination rings through the land._

* * *

Hyuuga looks at Takao Kazunari, the idiot that gave their team hell earlier with pointed eyes. "You set this up, didn't you?" He accuses, and Takao shrugs.

"Nah. I really do look up to Kasamatsu-san, here!"

Meanwhile, shouts can be heard from the other table.

"I'm not stupid, you're stupid! Your eyes are stupid!" Kise yells childishly, and Midorima clicks his tongue.

"It's not my fault I have bad eyesight, you idiot. You can't just pick and choose the qualities you're born with," he seethes, and Kise rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, if you could you'd be _way _better to hang out with!" For a moment, there's silence then the sound of Kuroko sipping her drink.

"Do you need some ice for that burn, Midorima-kun?" She asks softly and politely, and Midorima scoffs.

"I don't know why you all expect me to be able to sit here and take this. And Kise, don't go off on me against about being a 'good sport' and 'losing graciously', because I have quite a few situations in which you lost to certain... people, then _cried _for an hour afterwards. But I don't get much of a choice, do I?" He complains. Kise laughs out loud.

"Nope!" He exclaims, and Midorima looks him up and down critically.

"You've... changed. Somehow. You seem different," he says, and Kise looks up at him honestly.

"Well... yeah. I was beaten. So were you. I guess that after, I was upset. Obviously. But then I realized that I just can't take on the world by myself, and that accepting the help of others isn't such a bad thing after all. Basketball really is supposed to played on a team," he says wistfully, and Midorima shakes his head.

"Nevermind, you're still an idiot."

"Hey!"

Midorima stands to leave, then nods at Takao. "I'm leaving. You're going to be forced to go with me, even if you haven't gotten your fill of your... 'inspiration'," he says, looking humorlessly at a grinning Takao and a blushing Kasamatsu.

"Alright, Shin-chan!" Takao cheers, standing up with a wink at Seirin and Kasamatsu. He runs out the door then, saddling Seirin with the bill, and Hyuuga's eye twitches.

"That little..." he mutters, leaving Aida to pet his head roughly in an attempt to cool him down.

Midorima, just about to step out the door, turns around again. "One more thing," he says suddenly. "You've beaten Seihou and Shutoku now, so, congratulations. I have no doubt that when the time comes, you'll destroy Kise in an actual game," he continues, ignoring Kise's pout. "But there's another Miracle in the Tokyo region. And you'd best be prepared. The way he is now... it makes me nervous."

Kagami tenses. As does the rest of Seirin, minus Kuroko, who nods at Midorima.

"When you face him, I wish you all the best," he says, looking at Kagami with less judgmental, more appraising eyes. Then he looks at Kuroko. "Let's hope that luck is on your side."

Kuroko nods, and Midorima leaves.

"Who does he mean, Kuroko?" Kagami asks, addressing the elephant in the room. Kuroko takes a deep breath before speaking.

"Aomine Daiki, the ace of the Generation of Miracles. He goes to Touou now, and we'll be facing him very soon," she says. Kise scowls, and Kasamatsu raises both eyebrows. Kise doesn't often wear such faces, especially not out in public.

"I'm not on the best of terms with him," Kise says seriously, leaning back in his chair slightly. Kuroko shrugs.

"I cannot say I am, either, but I am on far worse terms on other members of our old team," she admits. Kise laughs.

"Well, at least I have that to fall back on. I'm finally better than you at something, Kurokocchi," he jokes, and Kuroko chuckles under her breath. She's happy, so happy that she can almost ignore the thrumming in her chest that reminds her of her guilt.

* * *

Akashi's eyes snap open a full three minutes before his alarm.

Akashi Seijuro is the kind of boy (yes, still a boy, he _is _only 14, whether or not he may act it) who revels in being even more perfect than technology, and the fact that he wakes up before the alarm is the only reason he has the clock at all.

He had the strangest dream, a nightmare, really, one where he did not win. He was kneeling on the ground, with a figure in front of him, looming dark and malevolent.

He never loses. Why did that show up in his dream? Was his mind somehow formulating thoughts of less-than-absolution before he fell asleep? If so, then why? What would lead his mind to do such a treacherous thing?

Oh. That's right.

Kuroko Tetsuki. His fists clench, a look of genuine anger on his usually cool and collected face. In the privacy of his room, Akashi is able to express his annoyance and frustration freely and without worry.

How? He had watched her for her entire career, and although he knew that she was _good, _her real skill, the ace up her sleeve, was always her misdirection. And now...

...it suddenly isn't? What happened? He saw her play against Seihou. And against Shutoku. Akashi Seijuro is a genius in both basketball and everything else, including people. He knows Kuroko Tetsuki, and according to all reason, she should still be reliant on her misdirection! They made the pact. He saw her face then, and he should have been able to tell then and there that she was planning something.

So how had she fooled him, the Emperor of Teikou? How did she fool his eye?

Akashi takes a few calming breaths, and smiles to himself. Who cares? Even if she has, somehow, broken through his first line of planning, there's no way he can lose, in the end. His team is almost as good as their team at Teikou, and nobody can singlehandedly beat them, not even Aomine Daiki or Kuroko Tetsuki. Together, _maybe, _but even then it's highly unlikely.

In a game where you are superior, all other 'teammates' on the court become useless pawns and obstacles to get by. Kuroko will be held back by the rest of Seirin. Which is why it would have been smarter of her to join Rakuzan when he offered, instead of childishly promising to take away his figurative throne and scepter.

What a ridiculous notion. _Kings _are the bearers of foolish things like thrones and scepters. Akashi is an Emperor, and he needs not such idiotic materialistic things to show his superiority, even in thought. He has an army at his feet, and Kuroko Tetsuki will be one of his soldiers again, no matter how hard she fights.

**...**

"So, you talked to her then? After her game against Seihou?" Momoi asks anxiously, knuckles white against her Training notebook. Aomine nods, eyes closed. He says nothing, and Momoi purses her lips. "Well, what did you say? You didn't make anything worse, did you, Dai-chan?"

Aomine ignores her questions, instead choosing to open his eyes a crack and frown. "Ah, Satsuki, that's something I wanted to talk to you about, actually." He says, cracking his shoulders and adjusting himself for maximum comfort.

Momoi grumbles. "What is it, Dai-chan?"

"Why is Tetsu so... mad at me? I mean, she didn't say it right away, but I can tell that she's pissed off at me about something, and I wanna fix it. I don't want to go back to being tentative acquaintances like back in the first year at Teikou. I want to be... friends with her again," he says, and Momoi smirks.

"'Friends', Dai-chan?"

Aomine flushes, but continues looking at Momoi pointedly for answers. Momoi sighs.

"Although I commend you on your use of sophisticated vocabulary, I'm afraid that I can't tell you. It... your relationship with Tetsu-chan won't improve at all if you don't figure it out yourself and solve the problem using your own intuition," she says apologetically, and Aomine groans.

"Not even a hint, eh?" He grunts, and Momoi shrugs.

"Sorry, Dai-chan," she says, although this time she really _doesn't _sound sorry. Aomine waves off her 'apology'.

"Nah, it's cool. I knew you were gonna say that anyway. Figured I would try, though. Can't have her thinking that I'm not at least _trying _to fix what we have... or, maybe it's _had _now... tch, nah," he mumbles, and Momoi raises her eyebrows.

"What does _that _mean, Dai-chan?"

"Eh? Oh, it's just some... stupid thing. When I talk to Tetsu, sometimes it feels like she just _knows _everything that I've done. It's weird. But if it's true, I want her to know that I do care about whatever the fuck I screwed up between us," he says, and Momoi smiles. She turns around and heads for the door leading down from the roof to avoid Aomine's sharp eyes.

"Well, good luck with that, Dai-chan. I'm rooting for you!"

"You'd better be," Aomine says with a smirk. It drops as soon as Momoi closes the door behind her. "I'm gonna need as much luck and support as I can get..."

* * *

**A/N: The pairing is decidedly AoKuro. I'm sorry for all of the people that requested AkaKuro, but you got drastically overshadowed by people who want the opposition. Anyway, some BROTP's I'm planning on putting in there are the following:**

**Midorima, Kise, and Kuroko (I just love them as friends so much I don't know)**

**Midorima and Takao (friends? not friends? life partners? secretly magic girls? who knows am i right)**

**Kise and Aomine (RIVALS 4 LYFE)**

**Akashi and Murasakibara (lol more like King and Servant)**

**Kagami and Himuro (i know they aren't really brother but if they were then DAMN himuro got all the good genes eh)**

**Kuroko and Kagami (if Kagami is Papa Bear then Kuroko is Goldie Locks except she can kick Papa Bear's ass somehow)**

**IF YOU WANT ANY OTHERS, TELL ME IN YOUR REVIEW. THANKS. Wow! Over 200 follows? Thank you all so much!**

**Also, Kuroko has some real Akashi-like powers, but they aren't going to be displayed until later, alright? I'm throwing in hints and such to give ideas of what her real skill may be, and I'll tell you right now, three have been dropped already. Probably. Definitely three, maybe more, I'm not really 100% sure about anything right now. **

**I write this on the fly, so if it isn't on par with your expectations or it doesn't update as regularly as you want it to, I'm _so _sorry, but _please _try to remember that for me, this is a hobby, and I do actually have things to do with my life. Seriously though, thank you for the support! **


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